My power over you grows stronger yet
by The Godess Freya
Summary: A young Irish woman has been chosen to become a personal attendant to Gaia, mother of the gods. Intrigue, hatred, and amusement follow in her wake, and she must rise above to love and serve as she was chosen to do. Eventual Ares/OC pairing.
1. Beginning

_This is definitely an original story from all counts, an idea I dreamed up so long ago. I couldn't let it go and this story happened. This will be primarily based on the greek pantheon but I plan to throw in the Norse and perhaps the Egyptian one if I can. It will also have various myths and legends and I'm doing most of the research myself. If there's something wrong, I apologize. _

_Anyways, I've rewritten the first chapter and hopefully everyone loves this version. Leave a comment, tell me what you think!_

* * *

_This was a time of gods and goddesses, enchanted ones, and legends walking the earth. All kind of myths and legends abounded, each in their own realm of worship. Humans were mere playthings, held in low regard by all, but we were mostly left alone. The small mortal lifespan held little no appeal to the fickle immortals, who would see hundreds of years pass as a second. Yet sometimes, a mortal would catch the attention of an immortal. Sometimes, the immortal would take them to their plane of existence and keep them, some for amusement, for servitude, or any reason. Reasons were for mortals. Whims were the fancy of the immortals. As for me, I was lucky enough to become a whim for the fae. A destiny that I accepted._

_My mortal life began suddenly, a surprise a few weeks earlier than expected, but no less warmly received. Through my younger years, Kerys, my faerie companion, was at my side, growing with me in years and wisdom. We played together, got in trouble together, and kept one another company for the harsher times in life. If Kerys hadn't ever found me, I would have missed the opportunity of Gaia._

_My name is Eveleen. This is the story of how a mortal rose through the ranks to live with the gods._

* * *

Kerys was still asleep on my bed when I rose for the morning, but I allowed her a few more moments before waking her. Aoife's spring was beautiful in the morning; I truly believed something magical resided there during sunrise. Before I went to the fields to begin my day, I always stopped by the spring to pay my respects. I never told my mother and father of my gifts to the spring, though I knew they wouldn't berate me for my belief.

I finished dressing and finally scooped up Kerys gently, cradling her in my hand against my chest. I saw her open her eyes wearily, then close them, and curl into a fetal position to get more comfortable. Kerys wasn't a morning faerie; she much preferred the night over the day. However, she still liked to be with me, even if it meant I had to carry her to the spring.

"Ma."

"Ya be careful, lass. Mornin's be tricky business, now," my mother stated as I quickly grabbed a muffin from the counter. My laughter echoed even after I exited a few seconds afterward. It was a well known fact that my father was not a morning person, and many a vase was accidentally left broken in his wake.

Stopping at the edge of the house, I picked a few flowers from the ground and kept walking, quickly crossing the field and entering the forest. Though only a few rays of light peeked through the trees, I had no need for a lantern. I knew the route by heart and could probably walk here in the blackest of nights.

Finally, I reached the spring, and placed Kerys on the ground softly. She mumbled and kept on sleeping, but I didn't expect anything different. Now, I gazed at the small spring and smiled. It was literally a pool of water two feet deep, with the clearest and most pure water I had ever tasted in my life.

Never had I seen anything fill up the spring, and never had I seen it overflow its small shores. It was always a constant, with a ring of roses growing in a perfect circle around it, and the softest green grass spreading toward the trees on either side. Past the trees, the grass just stopped. This place, however, was a miniature paradise, even more beautiful than any part of Ireland that I had seen.

I walked over and placed the small flowers in the water, smiling as they floated for a moment before falling to the bottom of the pool, as if they had been sucked under. It was always how it happened, and I would probably be more surprised if the flowers followed the laws of physics and floated like they were supposed to.

My reflection stared back at me as I watched the flowers fall and I smiled softly. I had a wild red mane of hair that could never become straight, no matter how hard I tried. My eyes were a soft green, set in a face with soft curves and not as plump lips. Slender neck and small in stature, I was tall for my people but not overly so. The only defining feature that stood out were my muscles. I was very toned for a woman, as I worked in the fields most of the day. Oh, there were other reasons but those I would never use in my lifetime, probably, but it kept me in almost perfect shape.

I dipped the last flower in the water, distorting my image as I stood and sighed. My offering done, I turned to pick up Kerys, and stopped as the hairs on my neck prickled. I was never one to ignore my sixth sense, not when it had brought me Kerys.

"Kerys," I whispered softly. The faerie groaned but sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, glaring at the interruption of her precious sleep.

"What?" she grumbled.

"We're not alone."

Now that perked her attention. She leapt to her feet and flew to land on my shoulder. She looked around with her faerie sight, but by the confusion on her face, she saw nothing. Most of the Irish supernatural was visible by fae sight and I could tell that it unnerved her that she saw nothing.

"None of my people are anywhere near this place," she murmured.

"But I feel something."

Kerys looked at me and pursed her mouth in irritation, but stopped as she saw the serious expression on my face. However she continued to flutter her wings, a sign of frustration, as she continued to look around.

"You're serious this time."

"Yes," I agreed.

"Fine. But only this once."

Kerys lifted her hands, small balls of golden magic forming on each of her fingertips, and began to glow a soft golden light. The balls swirled around her hands and began to travel around her whole body, leaving her transparent in their wake. Golden flakes showered from the magic and clung to her skin, shining bright for a moment before fading into a translucent white.

Her eyes glowed a ghostly white as she melded with the other world. When the balls ended their circular path at her feet they popped into a shower of golden sparks, leaving her as a corporeal entity on my shoulder. My exposure to the fae gave me the ability to see the other side, though only as much as a mortal could possibly do. Unless I went over, I would always see ghosts and mirages, a brief glimpse of things.

This was the fae swapping planes, a spell that they were born with the knowledge of. It was a simple spell for her since she was of the other plane of Tir Na Nog, like going back to her original form. To cross over she either needed a portal from Oberon or a different spell and a bit more of her magic.

"I see someone," she stated, a hand holding a strand of my hair. "She's floating above the pool." Her eyes were still the ghostly white from her crossing over, but that was with mortal sight. Still, it was unnerving for me to see her like this since I usually crossed over with her.

I looked toward the pool, but saw nothing. It was the same at it had always been but now with a feeling of something watching. It didn't seem evil at all, simply watching us.

"I don't see anything, Kerys," I stated, awe in my voice. It must not have been fae if I couldn't see it, which meant it was another type of spirit.

"Who are you?" Kerys asked, not responding to my statement. "I am fae. I mean you no harm."

"_I know, little faerie_." My eyes widened; I could hear the voice! It was clear and beautiful, like a perfectly chimed bell. It was the voice of a woman and it was soothing and relaxing to hear it speak. A fae with this type of voice was rare and most were gifted with natural abilities to enhance their physical selves, so this had to be another spirit, one gifted and old. "_You and the girl have been paying homage to my pool for twenty mortal years. I am impressed_."

"We thank you, great one, for honoring us with our presence. But what is your name?"

"_I am Gaia_."

"Kerys, she's one of the Greek primordial goddesses," I explained, awed beyond belief. Since my first encounter with the fae I had briefly delved into other pantheons to learn about them. I never thought I would meet a god that wasn't Irish or Celtic, nor did I think that the Greek gods would have such a reach to find us here in Ireland. "She's the goddess of the earth and gave birth to most of the forefathers of the Greek pantheon."

"_Correct, mortal. I have witnessed you coming to my forgotten spring for these many years, and I will allow you one chance that I only give the most special of mortals._"

"What gift do you speak of?" Kerys asked, still corporeal on my shoulder.

"_I was worshipped all over the world,_" she began quietly, mourning evident in her voice. "_For an Irish woman to remember me has given me great happiness. For this, I give the gift of servitude. If you will attend me, I will grant you access to Olympus. You will not want for anything, mortal, and you will be content for the rest of your life. A servant on Olympus is not a trifling matter, mortal. You will help me in the domain of the earth, use your powers to help the other mortals. But you will also have a spot of honor. Our servants are not the chattel here on earth. You are personally chosen by gods and goddesses, taken care of for the rest of your life. I will bless your family with your passing. Their crops will triple and never wither, never die. They will be able to have the farm they always dreamed of. You will be trained and later able to come and go to earth as you please, once you have the power to do so. You will be almost a minor goddess bearing my name. I gift this to you, mortal, because you have impressed me. Will you accept my offer?"_

I took a moment to think and Kerys was silent on my shoulder, allowing me to sift through the swirling thoughts in my head. I knew that if I stayed, I would be tied to my farm forever. Though it wasn't a bad thing, my parents could only afford to send one child to college and the oldest had gone, leaving me to eventually inherit the farm. It wouldn't be a bad life or challenging one since I enjoyed the work, but it would be mundane. I would be stuck to the earth, tied to the farm. I would have the fae tie, but how long before they tired of me and brought in another mortal?

Or I could go with Gaia. I was good at sensing things of people and she meant me no harm, I could sense that. I could live in another world, a place kept apart from the earth and for gods and only gods. I could imagine the splendor, the majestic palace of my dreams and I wanted to go. Gods how I wanted to shirk responsibility and fly into the arms of this magical goddess.

"If I leave, who will inherit the farm?" I asked more or less to Kerys.

"There will always be someone willing to help your parents," she answered without hesitation. "They will find a way to make things work. They always have."

"I want to go," I murmured. "So much it hurts."

"Then go."

"But my friends. My life. What about the fae? How will Oberon be able to call for me if I'm in Olympus? How will I be with Titania when she needs someone to play the fiddle to sleep? And Puck! Who is going to prank the others with him?"

"This isn't a life sentence, Eveleen. You will see everyone again, I will make sure of it."

"What about Bruadar?" Bruadar had always come late at night when he needed company, because I never asked questions, nor did I hold him to the standard that his people did. We were close friends, only second to Kerys, and he was the constant in my life I looked forward to.

"Bruadar can visit you; the fae and Olympus have never been at war. I am sure we could work out a deal where Bruadar can visit you. Is that so, Gaia?"

"_Yes, Kerys of the fae. It is a simple favor to ask Zeus and one that he will likely give to me. One fae will not be a danger to Olympus, and you speak rightly. We have never been to war with your people. He will have no reason to bar Bruadar from visiting you."_

"Eveleen," Kerys began quietly, in a tone I knew was serious. "This will be the only chance to have something for yourself. To live a life you've always wanted. I know you love the farm, but you will always regret denying the invitation. What could you accomplish by living at Olympus? What could you see? What would you experience? Servitude for them is your position with us, if not better. She offers you a gift and one my people were remiss in giving to you. Accept this, Eveleen. It is the right choice."

"_Your parents will want for nothing,"_ Gaia interrupted us. "_I will bless their crops and they will always yield bountiful harvests. They will be rich and will be able to expand. They will be able to hire help and not have as much duty in physical labor. I will care for them, so do not be tied down by responsibility. In time, you will be able to help them."_

It was her words and her intent in the clear voice that swayed my decision. Again, she wasn't lying. She was a goddess of the earth. If she said it would grow, it would grow and prosper. With my leaving as I wanted I would leave my family in good fortune. Bruadar would visit me, I could visit Oberon. I would eventually be able to see my family. I would be able to do some good instead of living in a remote farm on Ireland.

"Will they know I've left?" I asked her.

"_Yes. I will send an attendant to inform them of your decision and show them the fruits of their labors."_

"They would want this for you," Kerys stated. "Just say yes."

The moment came where I had to make my decision. I wanted to go with Gaia. I wanted to experience all the Greek pantheon had to offer and I wanted to live in a luxurious palace. Yes, I would serve her, but I would have been a servant to the farm as well. It wasn't a bad trade off. I knew myself and that I craved adventure. So why wouldn't the words come? Why could I not make them form? Sure, I was nervous of the uncertain future to come, but it wasn't like me to not be able to say yes to something I wanted.

"Do it, Eveleen," Kerys urged. She knew me as no other and for her to say I should, finally brought the words past the sudden lump in my throat.

"I will serve you, Earth mother Gaia."

"_I am glad, mortal. You have proved your loyalty already, and you will become my personal attendant. Walk to the pool, mortal._"

I did as she bade and stopped outside the ring of roses, but I already saw something happening. The water rose in a slender string, wrapping around my body in coils, though it was not leaving any wet trails behind. As it got to my head, it suddenly spread, cocooning me in a wall of water, and my eyes widened. However, I could breathe, and I felt a slight tingling all over my body.

"_This, mortal, is blessed water. You have already drunk from my pool; therefore you are already halfway through the conversion. This will seal you to my world._"

"What about Kerys?" I automatically asked.

"_She will be with you, though she does not have to go through the conversion. The Fae are already of the other plane. You are mortal. You must change to survive."_

I could feel something at work, but looking down, I couldn't see a difference. I felt lightheaded, as if I was about to faint, but when I tried to cradle my head, I found I couldn't move. However, the lightness in my head didn't worsen, but merely stayed a constant.

"Breathe, Eveleen. You're making the transition into the spirit realm." Kerys voice was a beacon, and I latched onto it as I tried not to faint. "You will feel lightheaded, and your body will begin to feel weightless. Now to any other, you will appear a shade or ghost. You are not of the mortal realm anymore."

_"You will be of the earth, therefore you must transform as the elements. Water." _The water molded to my skin and fused with it, creating an itchy sensation on every part of my body. I tried to scratch but my arms were held firm by some unseen force.

"_Air."_ Wind whipped around me almost at a gale force, slapping my hair against my face as it slammed into me and whipped around me in a mad frenzy.

"_Earth."_ Below me the ground trembled and exploded. Little pellets flew from underneath me and spun around me in circles, each as small as a drop of water. As they whirled they mixed together until all I saw was the sodden brown of earth, then it too, slammed into me.

_"Fire."_ The earth heated around me even as the wind dried the sudden spurt of sweat from my body. The earth held fast but it was too hot too quickly and I began to fear for the first time since this transformation had started.

"_Hold, Eveleen. The final element: light." _Around me the roses began to glow a blood red light as the grass began to glow a jade green. Even the trees began to glow a bright brown from the trunks. The lights formed into balls and shot into the air as different colored balls of light, orbiting and zipping through the paths of each other until a kaleidoscope of light shone down on my body.

As I watched the lights stopped their playful banter in midair, then dropped quickly toward my body, each aiming for a different part. I did the only thing my body could do: I screamed in terror. But instead of hurting, the elements fused into a pure white film, softer than silk, almost like strands of pure white hair. The film melded into my skin with a gentle caress and the pain that I had felt was instantly gone.

"There, Eveleen. You have finished_."_ I felt lightheaded as I fell to my knees and wavered dangerously before two hands caught me. "Mortal, you have done well with the transformation. Have pride in yourself_."_

I looked to Kerys, who landed on my shoulder softly, gently grasping a lock of my hair as she scanned me with a worried face. I smiled at her reassuringly and hoped that I could pretend I wasn't as exhausted as I felt.

"You don't have to go with me, Kerys. You can always return to the fae," I murmured to her as the hands caressed my arms. Interestingly enough, I felt subtle warmth from them and felt instantly stronger.

"Where you go, I go," she stated simply, then looked away as her cheeks flamed. I knew she would always be with me, no matter who tried to keep us apart, and that was why she was more than my best friend. She was my sister.

"Are you ready to stand, Eveleen?" I nodded, unsure, but willing to try. I stood with the hands still on my shoulders and turned slightly so I could see the goddess I now served. I admit again, my jaw dropped and I gaped. It was all I could do.

She was a surreal beauty and I'd seen beauty from the fae. Her hair was a glossy green, a deep jade matching her eyes to the exact shade. Her face was a few shades from tan yet pale, but the skin was perfect and flawless, framing her high cheekbones causing the plump red lips of her mouth to draw the eyes. She was taller than me and thin with enough tone to suggest muscle, but even the way she stood made it seem as if she was too dainty, too protected, to do anything. In short, she was beautiful and ethereal, more than I could ever dream of for a god to look like. I couldn't even really describe how beautiful she was, because she just shone from the inside out.

"Do I meet your approval, Eveleen?" she asked with a soft, comforting smile. "I know my beauty can be daunting for some."

"It is," I replied honestly. "I couldn't have imagined you even in my dreams."

"Honesty and a compliment. A good combination. Are you ready to travel to my realm, Eveleen?"

"Aye," I replied easily with a smile. Things were looking up and now, I was looking forward the the palace in my mind. Because now, now with this beautiful goddess in front of me, I knew the pantheon would be above and beyond my mortal expectations.

"Then follow me." She walked around me and into the pool as Kerys landed on my shoulder. She lifted a regal hand and the water leapt to her bidding, forming and shaping into what seemed like a thin mirror. It shone our reflections for a moment until Gaia touched the water. It rippled and when it cleared, I saw a golden room in the reflection. She confidently stepped through and I looked at Kerys, who nodded hard once.

I couldn't do anything but follow.

The portal softly tingled the skin and caused me to shiver, but otherwise was easy enough to pass through.

"Come, Eveleen. We will go to Zeus immediately." I said nothing and followed along dutifully to the golden door in front of her. "Breathe. Here we go." She held out a hand and the ornate golden doors swung open to reveal the inside.

It wasn't a room at all; instead it seemed like a door in the sky. Around there was no walls, only an expanse of blue sky. Below my feet were the clouds dotting the sky, and below them was green grass and rolling hills. It was like a looking glass to somewhere I couldn't place on earth. However there was a line of gold that led to the center and whirled around, which meant there was a floor, only glass of some type.

But the eyes caught the gods first. How did I know? They were beautiful as Gaia with power seeping from their gaze. Each sat on a golden chair with plump white cusions, except for two in the far back. These two had an ornate throne, a bigger version of the golden chairs, only it was dotted with jewels and pearl inlay for the handles. There sat a man and a woman and these two I knew who they were before Gaia spoke.

"Zeus."

"Gaia. What brings you here?" he asked. His voice was melodic, beautiful, and the words themselves were fused with power. But being around Oberon and Titania had taught me well, these words were indeed filled with power. It was the signal of royalty and leadership.

" I bring you a mortal that I desire to be my attendant," Gaia stated as she bowed her head in respect.

"Why do you bring me a mere attendant-"

"A personal attendant," Gaia quickly amended, grabbing Zeus's immediate attention.

"You have asked for few of personal use through the ages, Gaia. Come, mortal. Stand before me." I did as he bade and stood beside Gaia, remembering to hold my head high. Even if it was a false self confidence. "You bring more than an attendant. Who are you, faerie?"

"My name is Kerys. I serve King Oberon and Queen Titania."

"A faerie? Interesting. How did she capture you, faerie?"

"I stay willingly," Kerys stated calmly, her voice much more relaxed than her body language. "She is my friend and companion to the Fae."

"I see. You already have ties to gods, mortal. Whom do you serve?"

"Gaia," I answered immediately. Zeus began to laugh sardonically and I felt a fission of fear.

"Mortal, your supposed loyalty is amusing, but cut to the chase." The human expression had me quirking an eyebrow even as I bit back a retort. "Who did you serve?"

"Gaia," I answered again, a slight smirk on my lips. Sure I was shaking in my boots, but here and now I would prove my mettle. Oberon had done something similar when I first entered the Fae courts. Zeus stood, ready to punish me, but I didn't flinch or try to run. I stood my ground.

"It's true, Zeus. She worshipped my spring for twenty mortal years, albeit unknowingly." Zeus looked to Gaia, then back to me, and suddenly smiled.

"You were telling the truth, mortal. And you have mettle. You are interesting for your race."

"She has many skills," Kerys stated quietly. "The Fae often taught her things that no mortal should know."

"Then they laughed," I cut in, "At my pathetic attempts." Now Zeus laughed, his laughter booming around us.

"Come, mortal. Show me your skills."

"Got any-" Kerys clamped a hand over my mouth before I could say something, then glared.

"She will, and thank you for allowing us the chance, Zeus." I could have easily spoken around her, but I really wanted to rile her more than anything.

"She has the competence to wield a bow," one of the gods stated, and I looked to see a goddess speaking, her eyes assessing.

"She is built as a woman warrior," another agreed, and I recognized Athena on the spot. She was too famous, her symbol too recognizable to me, to not be known.

"But she shows no grace in the way she carries herself," a man stated from behind me. The voice was husky, a manly undertone that made me stiffen. I turned and saw him sitting lazily in his chair, his head in his hand and a leg thrown casually over the armrest. However, that wasn't what caught my attention.

He was beautiful, more so than the other gods in the room, with dark hair and green eyes that blazed brightly, with face full of hard lines. His smirk was dangerously attractive but also a dangerous warning. This man with the blazing cat eyes was danger incarnate and I was already on the defensive with only a sentence from him. His blood red shirt V-necked to his pants, showing considerable bronzed skin and muscle, and somehow I knew this was Ares. He wasn't sitting or acting like a warrior, but the aura around him screamed danger.

"Why not give the mortal a chance?" the god to Zeus's left stated. She was beautiful, even more so than Gaia, with haunting eyes that seemed to ripple every color and white hair spun like silk. "If Ares is so quick to cast her away without a show, I am not. Call for a mortal, faerie, and be quick about it. I'm sure you can find _one_ mortal in this palace than can prove useful for once." She shooed Kerys away, but as I was about to step in on the faerie's behalf, I heard Ares voice stop me.

"Not necessary. You want a show, Hera, I'll provide you with one." Shit. I didn't want to be caught in between a power play of the gods. I looked to Gaia, who looked completely sympathetic, but she nodded once.

I turned to see Ares slowly walking toward me, his gait graceful and purposeful, like a panther stalking its prey. Every move seemed calculated for effect as he glided over to me, causing me to gulp. Sure, I had been trained to fight by the bored Fae, but never in a serious battle scenario and never against an opponent built and bred for war.

"Here," Kerys stated, and I reached out my hand, palm up. A whip materialized in my hand, a gift from the Fae to myself, stored in their world for the ultimate safekeeping.

"Good, mortal. You know I will not go easy on you." Yeah, I knew it. "Draw your weapon." I felt the stick finally solidify in my hand, and I waved Kerys away and stepped forward, flicking my hand up and down in a fluid motion. The whip flew out and cracked once before falling to the floor, and I drew it to my side to wait for the match to begin.

"What is that?" Zeus asked curiously.

"A whip sire," I heard Kerys answer. "One used by-"

Her voice drowned out when Ares lunged at me, a sword in his hands, and I snapped my whip into existence. As he became closer, I inflicted a few cuts before he thrust and I flipped out of range. I watched him closely to see if the barbed tip of my whip was having an effect on him, and he must have felt it because he touched a cut on his face.

"I see. You tipped your weapon in some sort of poison."

"Not poison. Just a paralyzing agent. It'll wear off in a few hours." He leapt at me and I managed to catch him in the leg before I had to duck and roll. But this time, Ares kept pushing, and I hit a button on the handle of my whip, causing the barrel to elongate to my elbow to become a blocking weapon. Of course, the whip was useless at close range, so I did what I had to.

"Kerys!"

I kicked at Ares and flipped away, holding up my hand. Now, I felt my other weapon appearing in my hand, and I pointed the newly formed sword at Ares. I had learned to dual wield, sure, but with two very different weapons. I cracked the whip once, taunting Ares to attack, and by his widening smirk, my point had gotten across. He leaped and my whip came at him, snagging his calf, and I barely got my sword up to block his overhead strike.

"Good, mortal. But now you have a useless arm."

True, I couldn't use my whip, but I still had tricks. I brought up my foot and hooked it under his ankle, knocking him slightly off balance, and I pressed my advantage. I brought the hilt of my whip toward him and he blocked with his sword, leaving my own sword with a wide open side shot. But of course, the fatal shot was dodged easily. He was a god; my tricks were useless on him. I was screwed on all counts and I'd be lucky to land one hit on him.

Now, he attacked with renewed vigor, and it was just a matter of time before I got hit. Sure enough, he scored a deep gash on my whip arm, and I cried out as I brought my sword down on his open guard. Using his godlike speed, he managed to block, and I glared. This was no fair fight. This was a mockery of a fair fight, and I didn't like the way he was toying with me, showing me who was the strongest in the most arrogant method possible.

"Zeus," I barely heard from my tunnel vision on Ares. "This is not a fair fight." I didn't hear Kerys's continuing voice because Ares against leapt and I blocked him with my sword as he slashed and hacked again and again, trying to find that one slip in my guard. And of course, he increased his strength every strike, which meant there would come a time where the blow would be too strong for my mortal body to handle.

Finally, I brought my sword a fraction of a second too late, and Ares batted away my weapon to slash my chest lightly, cutting my shirt open, thankfully above my breasts. The blood dribbling down my shirt I viewed as a nuisance, disregarded for the sword coming at my legs again. I knew there was no way I could block it. He had used enough of his god speed to make sure I couldn't block it. The sword landed on the side of my leg, cutting deep into my flesh. I cried out and immediately fell to one knee, knowing that leg was useless to me, and placed my sword tip on the ground as a sign of surrender.

"See? She's no warrior woman," Ares taunted, trying to goad me into another useless attack.

"I know when I am beaten," I said clearly for every god in the room to hear. "And he is clearly the best between the both of us. Of course, he is a god. It is destined for him to win." I taunted back. Instead of becoming angry at my barb of using his god powers against me, he merely smiled, and that irritated me beyond belief.

"How goes the saying? All's fair in love and war, mortal."

It took every ounce of willpower I had not to launch myself at the cocky god, and I was sure every god in the room saw the way my body shook in anger.

"Eveleen!" I saw Kerys fly over to me and lightly touch my face. "That was a good battle. You did well." The loss smarted because I knew I would have defeated most mortals they placed me against, but it had to be Ares. "Even my queen was impressed."

Kerys' ability was a rare one even for the Fae. She could give the ability to see through her eyes and watch what was going on to her Fae rulers. They couldn't control her or anything of the sort, but it was still a useful talent to have.

"Titania?"

"Yes. She says if you were a god, it would have been a match sung across the ages."

"That sounds like Oberon," I said with a smile, trying to ignore my injuries.

"It may have been," Kerys allowed. "Come with me to visit Titania when this is over. We will heal your wounds." I stood, though I almost buckled under my cut leg, but I did manage to stand. If I had nothing else, I would have my pride even if Ares had stripped me of my dignity. My wounded leg shook with exertion and blood poured down my arm, down the whip, and steadily pooled on the glass floor beneath me. But still I held my head high and I would until my body gave out.

"Well done, mortal," Zeus stated, and I watched him, my face showing my utter confusion. "Rarely does a mortal cause Ares to use his god powers. He thought you weak, but you were enough to make him worry. I will grant you this mortal, Gaia, as long as she visits my hall often. I want to see this whip technique more often, and of course, to gaze upon such beauty." The line rolled off of me because I knew he didn't mean it, and I had heard of Zeus's many paramours. I had no wish to be another notch on his bedpost. "Now go. Clean yourself and make yourself presentable for the festival tonight."

I turned to walk out, but as I did, my eyes unwittingly slid over to Ares. He was back in his position on the chair, his body relaxed, but his cat eyes were fixated on me for some reason. They seemed intent, as if he were trying to peer in my soul, but admittedly, his eyes were haunting and I knew I would remember them as they were now.


	2. The Final Trial

I walked out of the room, followed closely by Gaia and Kerys, and stopped a few feet from the door as my leg completely gave out on me. I had left a trail of blood from the battle to here, and I knew that if I wasn't treated, this wound would turn out to be a mortal one.

"Here, Eveleen. We're almost there." I looked up at the shimmering portal, my body spent, and shook my head.

"I can't make it. It's taking all that I have not to fall over."

"I'll get a Faerie. Hold on." Kerys flew through, leaving me with Gaia, who knelt beside of me and inspected the cut.

"I'm impressed. This is a crippling wound, mortal. If you wish, I can find a healer."

"No need," I panted out, my head swimming from the loss of blood. "The Fae will take care of me. I am Oberon's plaything, after all."

"How do you know the Fae?" Gaia asked softly, placing her hand over my injury. Immediately, I felt a cooling sensation, the pain lessening slightly.

"Kerys. Kerys brought me to the Fae when they asked why she willingly stayed with me. I made Titania laugh, and Oberon thought I was beautiful for a mortal. They decided to keep me for a few years, and strangely, it was only a few days in mortal realm. My parents thought I just had an extended camping trip."

"How did they know you were fighting?"

"Kerys can channel her sight to the Fae royalty. That's why she's the diplomat because her powers allow the royals to see what goes on without placing themselves in danger." I looked to the portal again, but unfortunately for me, the doors opened once more, and a few of the gods walked out and pointedly looked at my wounds.

"You're still conscious," Athena stated. "Ares made sure to cripple you with that wound. Looks like he's losing his touch."

"Give me a few minutes. I'll pass out soon." My comeback was actually well received; Athena smirked and nodded her head at me.

"Get healed mortal. You made things quite amusing today." With that, Athena walked out, and the goddess who spoke of the bow stepped forward.

"You should have used a bow against him," the goddess stated. "I can see the marks you bear from the bowstring. Why did you not use it?"

"I didn't have a bow," I answered honestly.

"Then I will make you one when you return. Stay alive until then, mortal, and perhaps we will hunt together." Now it made sense. She was Artemis, goddess of the hunt, who hunted with the great hunter Orion.

"I'll look forward to it." Artemis inclined her head respectfully then followed Athena, and the next god that exited made me sigh with frustration.

"Can't walk, mortal?" he taunted with a self satisfied smirk. His eyes were intent as they looked at me, briefly touching on the rapidly pooling blood beneath me.

"You made sure of that," I snapped back, grateful to see the blood flow finally slow under Gaia's healing touch.

"You should have never taken on a god." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"And you should have given me a way to fight a fair fight." Ares's smirk deepened and I literally wanted to smack it off his face.

"My poor beauty." The voice from the portal made me sigh with relief and smile at the same time, and I turned, blatantly ignoring Ares, to greet the Fae coming through.

"Bruadar," I said softly, causing the Fae to smile.

"You don't look so well, beauty," he said, kneeling down to gather me into his arms. Although he shifted me as gently as possible, it still hurt, and I hissed in pain. "Beauty, beauty. Why do you get into these situations? Call for a champion. I'll gladly come to your aid, beauty." I smiled at him and simply shook my head.

Bruadar was an enigma; a mystery even for the Fae. He was dark, handsomely so, with an aura of danger and lust that clouded every woman's judgment. No one knew his true self, nor why he was taking a different mortal nearly every month. However, he did nothing to jeopardize the Fae and his continuing escapades made for gossip to amuse the Fae royalty, so he was given free reign. To me, he was flirtatious yet solicitous, inflating my ego yet treating me as a prized sister instead of a conquest.

"Can you heal me?" I asked him seriously. "Will it drain too much from you?" He brushed a lock of my hair away from my face and smiled down at me.

"Nothing is too great for you, beauty. I would give all that I had to see you safe." To this, I rolled my eyes. He was laying on the flirting thicker than usual and I had no idea why. Perhaps he had been even more bored in the Fae world than usual and thought he could stir up trouble on Olympus; I wouldn't put it past him.

Bruadar gathered me close and began to chant in ancient Celtic, the language he preferred, and I watched calmly as his body began to glow with a green light. He was a powerful Fae healer, renowned in his own right, and if anyone could heal me back to perfect health, it was Bruadar. Now the light shifted to engulf me, and I felt the skin and muscle began to shift and sew itself back together. It wasn't painful because Bruadar always made sure to block it, but it was the oddest feeling I could ever feel. It caused shivers of horror and kept you uncomfortable for the duration of the healing, but he always had results.

"There beauty," he said a few moments later. "Perfect and flawless, like usual." He kissed me softly on the forehead and reluctantly placed me on the floor. I found that my leg was perfectly normal and I flexed my arm to test it. Delightfully painless.

"Thanks for coming when I called, Bru. I guess this means that I owe you one."

"No, beauty. It was I who was in your debt. Now we are even." Thinking back, I remembered why, and began to laugh. I had brought him a beautiful Irish woman that had complained of a lack of adequate sex. Both Bruadar and she were very happy with that arrangement, and she had lasted for a whole of three months before Bruadar became bored and moved on. It was his longest on record for the moment.

"All right, deal. Thanks again!" Before he left, he dipped down and kissed me on the lips, then darted back toward the shimmering portal.

"A pleasure as always, beauty!" I pointed to the portal behind him and mock glared. "Aye, I go merrily to dream of your beauty." I rolled my eyes and Bruadar finally disappeared.

"Who was that? Your lover?" Gaia asked me seriously, her face devoid of any condemnation I had expected.

"You ask the questions with the most obvious of answers," Ares said disdainfully. "A disgusting display if I say so."

"Firstly, no, he isn't my lover," I said, pointing to Gaia. I switched to Ares, jabbing my finger at him. "Second, he gets more women than Zeus himself. And I doubt you could even think of being on his level."

Gaia politely looked away, but I spotted a smile on her face as she tried to struggle to keep it hidden. Ares, however, only lifted an eyebrow.

"I have no need to prove myself to a mortal," he scoffed, looking me over. "I wouldn't find the reward worth the effort."

Oh. No. He. Didn't. This means war.

"Of course you have no need," I purred out, my smile reminiscent of a Cheshire cat. "You can get any woman you desire, I'm quite sure." The obvious sarcasm in my voice made him narrow his eyes slightly at me.

"Impudent mortal."

"Tasteless god," I shot back.

Kerys finally exited the portal only to see Ares and I glaring at one another, and she waved her hands frantically.

"Eveleen, come on. We have to get you ready for the party," she said.

"Will there actually be men there worth the effort?" I asked, the taunt easy to hear.

"I will be there, mortal." My eyes narrowed as he smirked, but I had walked into that one. I opened my mouth to fire another scathing remark but Kerys put a hand over my mouth.

"Enough! Eveleen! Stop antagonizing him!"

"Was I?" I asked softly with a smirk of my own, but I knew he heard. He 'hmphed' and strolled away, leaving me with tense shoulders and ready to pounce on his turned back with a sneak attack. "I haven't had a verbal fight that good in forever," I stated as Ares got out of range. "I miss my brother already."

"You're saying you engaged Ares for fun?" Kerys nearly yelled and I nodded. Harassing Ares and giving Kerys a near heart attack all in the span of four minutes; Bruadar would be very proud.

"Kind of. I honestly don't know what got into me," I answered honestly.

"To tell you the truth," Gaia said, finally looking back at us, "Ares has been bored. There is none to challenge him in anything, never mind if they lose. You, mortal. Why did he wait outside as you were being healed?"

"Bored?" I guessed, but she shook her head.

"No matter what he says and if he decides not to admit it even to himself, you proved yourself a warrior today. You gained some of his respect and he did want to see if you were all right."

"He wouldn't have helped even if I was dying," I shot back. Gaia smiled as Kerys glared at me to be respectful, but Gaia waved the Faerie away.

"I like her honesty and brashness; it's refreshing in its own right. I will not silence the part of her that I find so amusing. And yes, mortal, if you were dying, he would have. But you weren't. You were seriously injured and may have been on the brink of death. That's why he waited for you. He was checking up on you."

"Though he might say different and not admit it," I restated, using Gaia's words as they finally clicked.

"Exactly. He will fight his curiosity towards you, mortal, but he will fail." I laughed, throwing my head back as I saw the first look of Gaia's impishness.

"Looks like we're more alike than she lets on, Kerys," I teased, looking at the exasperated Faerie.

"I'm going to have nightmares," she muttered. "May King Oberon and Queen Titania forgive me." Gaia chuckled softly, hiding her smile behind a delicate hand.

"I see the amusement in tormenting your poor Fae friend."

* * *

"Here, mortal," Gaia stated, waving her hand as she gazed at me, her eyes critically assessing me. I felt my clothes disappear and I went to cover myself, but she waved her hand again. Now, I felt silk slide against my skin, and I looked down at my new wardrobe.

The dress itself was an emerald green that draped to my feet and shimmered in the candlelight around us. It was tight around my middle, giving my breasts a lift, yet keeping me from looking like a hooker. Where the dress was sown together, emeralds lay directly on the seams, giving me an aristocratic look, yet the bottom of the dress was bare from any precious stones, merely flowing around my legs. The sleeves of the dress were to my wrist, a slit riding clear to my shoulder, and held together by strings of emeralds. All in all, it was very comfortable and looked very expensive, immediately putting me ill at ease.

"This is the dress of my personal attendants," Gaia stated, noting my discomfiture. "Easily repaired with a wave of my hand, so please, be comfortable in this dress." I had to admit she was right; she literally had created this dress out of thin air, and probably would take a mere wave of her hand to fix anything on it.

"It's beautiful," I said honestly, giving it an experimental twirl.

"You give it beauty," Gaia stated calmly. "The dress becomes your eyes, mortal." I knew the one feature about myself that gave me character was my green eyes, reminiscent of a cat's. I had sharp angular features, perhaps a little too sharp, and red hair that stretched to my mid back. My hair, however, was stubbornly curly, no matter what I did or put in it, and I had given up styling it long ago.

"Thank you," I whispered softly, embarrassed. I was cute, sure, but never considered beautiful. It was unsettling, but in this dress, I did feel the part. "Will your other attendants be there?"

"Some," Gaia allowed. "Most are visiting my shrines and taking the offerings."

"It is time for crops," I mused.

"Yes. They pray to me for fertile fields as well as Demeter for healthy crops." I nodded, soaking in the information. It seemed like infringing territory to me, but if Gaia and Demeter could work it out, then I guess it was fine by me. "You were wondering of our relationship?" Gaia guessed by my bemused expression, and I guiltily nodded. "Come. We shall walk and talk. But first…" She waved her hand again, and this time, I felt my hair pile onto my head, along with a few weighted things. When I looked in the mirror, my hair was skillfully adorned on my head, lined with an emerald tiara.

"Why do I need the tiara?" I asked. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't complaining. It was beautiful, but wasn't it too much?

"It is a sign of my personal attendants. You are higher than the rest of my mortals, and the emeralds you wear are a sign of your prestige. You will understand when you reach the great hall." Gaia snapped her fingers, and immediately her hair was intricately styled to match her dress, which she had already created. "Come." She gestured and I followed her outside the solar, which was the main room where the attendant's room branched from.

"What about you and Demeter?" I asked.

"She is a goddess of the crops and I, a goddess of the earth. She can bless the plants to make them grow, and I bless the earth to make the plants grow. She cannot repair exhausted soil or make a forest grow from a single meadow. That is my domain."

"So she can only manipulate the plants, not anything around it?"

"Right."

"And you both are on good terms?"

"I am a primordial goddess, more powerful than any but Zeus. The others know not to antagonize me or harass my attendants, and in turn, I leave them alone. It is a symbiotic relationship that must be maintained."

"Why?"

"Without me, the earth would wither away and die, eventually killing all life on earth. So if Demeter killed me, her territory would suffer. Without her, perhaps I could survive. But it would exhaust much of my power. So I rely on her to grow crops, and I keep the earth's soil alive."

I spared a look at Gaia. She looked dainty and completely feminine, not at all like a warrior such as Ares. She didn't move with his grace nor did she exude the lethal aura like he did. The muscle I saw was toned, not built for strength. Gaia saw my assessing eye, and she smiled softly.

"I don't look like much, do I?" she said with a small laugh. "Mortals look to the strength of the body. I rely on the strength of my god powers. I can turn anything into a weapon, no matter how innocent. The gold on this wall is of the earth and is within my boundaries to manipulate. The marble on the floor is my domain. The plants you see are not the beautiful flowers you think they are."

I eyed a flower as we passed it, and I saw it lengthen and the thorns sharpen to a dangerous size before it shrank, and I quickly looked to Gaia, who watched me, undeniably amused.

"That's incredible!" I meant the flower as well as her. I saw no movement on her part to manipulate the plant, which means it was such a low display of power she could do it mentally.

"A mortal is so easily pleased," she teased as we rounded another corner. "You are under my protection, mortal. I did not take that oath lightly."

"I have to admit, I am a tad bit nervous about tonight."

"You must steel yourself, Eveleen," she said suddenly, stopping me with a hand to my shoulder. We were outside of the great hall, I assumed, and she spun me to face her. "I haven't had the time to delve deep into your character, but I assume you are a virgin."

I shook my head. "No, only once, though," I said with a blush.

"I see. Now please listen. You are an innocent compared to the people behind these doors. Most mortals are gluttons and depraved sexually. They don't care who sees them or what they do in public, so you might even see them have sex on the table right in front of you. I won't ask you to stay if this happens, merely that you exit with grace and as much dignity as you can. The mortals give the gods amusement, so if they were to see you blushing and running, they would use this weakness to harass you. Not because they hate you, but because it would amuse them. Understand?"

"I'll try," I said with a nod, trepidation burning inside of me.

"And that is all I ask. Make it through this, mortal, and you will be officially my personal attendant."

"I thought I was…." I trailed off, confused.

"In the eyes of others, yes. Officially you must be introduced and drink the mild ambrosia."

"Wait, doesn't that make you immortal? And isn't it reserved solely for the gods?"

"Yes and yes. The normal ambrosia will make you immortal. What you will drink is filtered and will elongate your mortal life, plus, it will give you a boost in vitality and beauty. You will not get sick on Olympus, nor will any disease take you. You will die by old age."

"Another ritual?"

"The last," Gaia answered. "You will be my personal attendant when you drink the ambrosia, the other gods be damned. You are already favored by more gods than most mortals can garner, and your coming will probably be embraced. But do not give your trust lightly, Eveleen. Mortals are even more fickle than the gods can be."

"I'll try to be careful," I whispered, fear increasing in my mind. Gaia smiled gently and kissed my forehead, and immediately I felt a cool sensation flow from my head down to my toes.

"Do not be afraid. I warn you so you can expect what is going to happen. It may not happen tonight, then again, it might."

"Will…they come onto me?"

"Perhaps. If so, you may choose. It is not frowned upon on who becomes your lover, merely passed around as gossip." I crinkled my nose in distaste.

"I don't want that," I muttered.

"Then say no. You will not be penalized for it. Are you ready?"

"As I will be."

"Then come."

She opened the doors to reveal the festivities already in progress. Our entrance went unnoticed by most of the population inside, but a few glanced our way and nodded, paying their respects to Gaia. Gaia strode in and I followed in her wake, finally realizing that people were beginning to stare. Instead of becoming flustered as I might have done, I steeled my nerves, held my head high, and kept my eyes trained on Zeus, who sat on his throne talking to Kerys.

"Ah, Gaia. And you, mortal. Welcome to your first feast."

"Thank you, Zeus." Kerys flew from the throne and flew onto my shoulder

"You look beautiful, Eveleen," she whispered, and I smiled at her. She had disappeared shortly after Bruadar had healed me, and I wondered where she had gone, but I should have known. She was a diplomat, after all, and forging and renewing ties to the Fae were her main goal. Always.

"Come, mortal. You must drink the ambrosia and eat. Enjoy yourself, mortal." I stepped past Gaia and as I stepped onto the throne, I heard Kerys warning,

"The ambrosia will make you feel very giddy, like you're drunk. Careful."

I walked on as if I hadn't heard her, and reached for the goblet Zeus held out to me. I lifted the goblet to my lips and sipped, my eyes widening at the sweet taste of the ambrosia. Even watered down, it was a divine taste I could definitely get used to.

"All of it, mortal," Zeus said with a chuckle.

"She cannot handle all of it," Hera stated calmly, her eyes calculating. She knew Zeus had even a remote interest in me, so she was ridding herself of the intrusion. If Kerys hadn't warned me, I would have risen to the bait and drank it all in one gulp, probably only to cause a scene later.

I didn't reply to her comment, merely took a gulp, breathed, and took another. After a few sips, I finally finished it and handed the jeweled goblet back to Zeus. I could feel the tendrils of something reaching into my mind, and Kerys was right. It did feel as if I was drunk, but it was more than that. It was like a pleasure high right after an orgasm, but without floating back to reality. Heady, and probably addicting if I let it be, which I vowed I would never do, no matter how good it tasted.

"How do you feel, mortal?" Zeus asked. Thank god for being Irish or I wouldn't have been able to handle the drunken feeling.

"Relaxed," I stated promptly. Zeus watched my eyes, probably waiting for the cloudiness of the high to override my senses, but I remained clear and alert, my own experience with drinking having prepared me for this. With that, he grinned and stood, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I accept your petition, Eveleen." He raised his voice to echo around the now silent great hall and said, "Let all who dwell on Olympus know that Eveleen is the personal attendant of Gaia, and will be under her protection. Now go, Eveleen. Be merry and drink to your heart's content."

"Perhaps not the drink," I stated to him. "But I will be merry."

"Wise, Eveleen." He sat back down and I turned, my mind on walking and keeping myself as normal as possible with the drunk feeling in my body.

"How long, Kerys?" I asked quietly.

"Same as drinking. Don't drink anything but water tonight."

"Oh, I won't." I was no lightweight and the ambrosia had almost floored me. Strong stuff even watered down.

"Good job, mortal," Gaia said with a smile. "Are you all right?"

"Very tipsy," I answered honestly. "I need an adult." Gaia chuckled and led me to a table covered in a green tablecloth, which I assumed was her table. She sat me down and I noted the lack of people in empty seats, to which Gaia pointed. Over at a golden table sat Aphrodite (which I guessed from the sheer beauty of her) and another man garbed in green. However, his tunic was plain, without any of the stones I had, and I assumed he was just an attendant.

"They are spread out among the other gods," Gaia answered, waving her hand over the table. Food appeared in the jeweled bowls and wine appeared in her goblet and water appeared in mine. "You can go to another table, of course, but you wanted an adult, did you not?"

"Aye," I stated, daintily grabbing a grape and popping it into my mouth. "Do you have any real allies?"

"Artemis," Gaia immediately replied. "She is respectful of the earth."

"But doesn't she hunt and kill for fun?"

"From the earth springs life and from life comes death. You are of the earth and when you die, you will become one with the earth once more. Creatures of the earth are the same. You cannot interrupt the cycle of life. What she kills was destined to die by her hand, and it does not stop the life cycle."

"So…Artemis. Anyone else?"

"My daughter Rhea. She lives in the mortal realm and seldom visits here on Olympus. She has my trust, of course. Other than them, I have few I trust, though not as much as Rhea and Artemis."

"What about Athena?" I asked, looking toward the goddess in question. She was seated at her table idly drinking pure ambrosia, and her attendants spoke around her. Though she seemed apart from them, she would nod or say a sentence, letting me know that she was actually paying attention and giving the illusion of being aloof.

"A goddess of honor. She abides by her word. She would make a good ally and perhaps a good acquaintance if you wish."

And of course, my eyes slid over to the table coated in a blood red tablecloth, and found Ares. He was grinning, yet it seemed like a smirk, at one of the warriors dressed in light armor beside of him as the young man spoke rapidly. He gestured sword like movements, and I guessed they were speaking of a battle. I mean, what else would make the god of war that interested if not blood and battle?

As if he felt my stare, Ares eyes shifted the slightest bit, but I felt their weight all the way over here. The grin turned into a smirk as he shifted to watch me, his eyes boldly roaming over my face and body, taking in the conversion. I had come into Olympus in jeans and a nice T-shirt, and now I was dressed in regal clothing. I knew the moment his stare turned hot and I fought the urge to look away, but then, our argument before the feast came back to me, and I realized the bastard was taunting me. I glared angrily before breaking the glare myself and turning back to my food.

"Eveleen." I looked up to see a man dressed in pure white looking down at me. "Artemis requests your presence, if Gaia will allow it." I looked to Gaia for permission and she nodded.

"Go. Socialize and get familiar with everyone. Kerys, do the introductions if you will." Gaia made sure to include Kerys, so that the Faerie could watch over me as I tried to sober up. I stood and began to walk over to Artemis, but the boy held out an arm.

"It's formal introductions, so I have to escort you." By his accent, I judged him to be American of some type, from the southern part of the country. Past that, I had no idea.

"Whoops," I muttered, but the boy heard and laughed.

"I made the same mistake," he admitted as I took his arm. He led me over and continued. "I walked on over to Ares and introduced myself with an outstretched hand." I winced for him and hissed in imagined pain.

"Oh, ouch."

"He didn't do much. Just made me realize I made a horrible decision in one sentence."

"Arrogantly, I presume?" I asked, as if I was whispering a confidence. The boy laughed and nodded.

"Of course, or he wouldn't have been Ares." We stopped at the goddess I had seen before and I curtsied slightly. "Artemis."

"Eveleen," she said, inclining her head. "I spoke to Hephaestus and he will make the bow." My eyes widened; I thought she had been kidding when she said she would make one for me. "The twine is already complete, so the bow will be complete in a few days. You will hunt with me then."

"I'd be honored," I stated, and I felt Kerys tug on my hair, reminding me of introductions. Gods, the drink was definitely impairing. "This is Kerys. She ties me to the Fae, but she's my closest friend." Artemis looked toward the Faerie and inclined her head respectfully.

"Eveleen, I will call for you when your bow is done. Do you mind Nathaniel as an escort?" She gestured to the boy beside of me and I shook my head.

"No. He's fine." Artemis then waved her hand at us.

"Go back to Gaia and get acquainted then. I don't want our hunt interrupted by meaningless chatter." I smiled just as Nathaniel did, and we both bowed to Artemis.

"Of course not," I agreed. A tug on my hair reminded me to add, "Thank you again for the invitation, Artemis."

"Entertain me, Eveleen, and there will be more to come. Go on, both of you. I wish to eat." As I turned to leave, I reached for Nathaniel's arm just as he offered it, and he nodded at me, then turned to lead me back to the table.


	3. Stand Up

"That went well," he stated. "Artemis doesn't often invite mortals. Do you know how to shoot?" I mock glared at the boy, who smiled. "All right, stupid question. How well do you know how to shoot?"

"Better. I competed in high school and usually got first place. I have hunted, but I'll admit, I'm not good at the waiting."

"She can't even sit still for five minutes," Kerys interjected, and I deftly dusted her off of my shoulder. She flew into the air, giggling at my discomfort, and waved. "I'll leave you two alone."

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Back to Oberon and Titania. Zeus has agreed to an official neutral treaty with the Fae and I'm going back to Oberon with Zeus's terms."

"All right, off you go." I shooed her away and she opened a small portal behind her and flew through, leaving Nathaniel and I alone. "Have you been introduced to Gaia?"

"Yes. She and I are acquainted." I eyed Nathaniel as I digested the term. It seemed people you trusted were friends, which seemed to be rare on Olympus, and acquaintances were people who knew and spent time with one another, but weren't completely trusting. It was something I'd have to learn.

"Gaia," I greeted as Nathaniel led me to my seat.

"I see you've made an acquaintance," she stated, gesturing to him. "Welcome, Nathaniel."

"Thank you, Gaia. I've been instructed to take her on the hunt with Artemis."

"Wise," Gaia stated. "You two will definitely become friends, I can tell." I looked to Nathaniel, who grinned at me.

"If Gaia says it, so shall it be," he instantly stated, causing Gaia to smile.

"Quiet, mortal. Entertain my new attendant and stop trying to gain my favor." Gaia popped another grape into her mouth and Nathaniel finally turned to me.

"So, Eveleen is your name. What do you like to do?" he asked cordially, sparking up our conversation.

"I like to sing and play the fiddle, and I do dance a little. Ma's always been the best, though, so I don't like to embarrass myself by trying around her."

"How is your singing?" he asked, now interested.

"Not as good as my fiddle playing," I immediately countered. "I love to play, but the singing helps to grow the song into something more, so you have to sing some of them. What about you?"

"I like to play the guitar. Well, I did. I left it on earth when I came to serve Artemis."

"Why did you leave it behind?" I asked as I continued to eat.

"No place for a guitar on Olympus. It's all about the flute or lyre, and if I don't have to learn those, I'll be happy." I laughed at him, but he continued. "And I did play soccer back as a mortal."

"Oh? I thought Americans usually didn't like soccer."

"Some do, most don't. Anyways, why is Ares staring over here like he's going to kill us?"

It took all that I had not to grin and send over a triumphant look, but somehow, I resisted the urge. Barely.

"We had a small row before the feast. I told him he couldn't imagine how to properly seduce a woman and he said I wasn't worth the effort. He probably thinks you're my new conquest or something. Needless to say, I've got a man, but he's only got his attendants, so I win." Daintily, as if he were having a normal conversation and not discussing the man glaring over at us, I held up a grape to Nathaniel, who took it with his tongue, probably infuriating Ares.

"Just as bad as Eveleen," Gaia stated, interrupting the moment.

"You've known this," Nathaniel countered, holding up a grape for me. I took it as he had, though my way was a tad bit more exaggerated, but it served my purpose. Only now did I glance over to Ares, my eyes filled with triumph, to see him actually glaring. He didn't like to lose, nor did I, and it was his turn to make a move.

I saw him turn back to one of his attendants, a beautiful woman clothed in his color, and he leaned down to whisper something in her ear. Of course, she blushed, and when Ares gently brushed her arm, she looked like she was going to melt.

"Oh, that's how he's going to play it?" I asked with a half laugh. "It's so on."

"You know, you shouldn't mess with Ares," Nathaniel said somberly, but the effect was ruined by the broad smile on his face.

"He started it and its fun to fight with him."

"I see-" Nathaniel broke off and made a disgusted sound as he shook his head. "Fucking A, they never quit, even for a night." His tone had me bracing when I turned, and even so, my whole face heated. Two of the mortals were getting naked, shedding their clothes like no tomorrow.

"I'm out of here," I stated.

"Want me to escort you out? It'll seem like you're leaving instead of running." I nodded gratefully at Nathaniel, then turned to Gaia.

"Go. I'll join you shortly."

Nathaniel took my arm and helped me stand, trying to keep eye contact with me to keep me from looking behind me. I could hear the grunts and the sound of sex behind me, along with various laughter ranging from polite to amused, and a few sounds of disgust. Some even cheered, and I knew I could never condone this type of behavior. I had nothing against sex, but it should be a private affair, not in front of _everyone_.

"Here," he finally said as we exited the feast. "I'll ask Artemis if I can leave-"

"Don't worry about it," I interrupted. "Kerys will join me soon and it's a good enough time to explore. Have fun when they stop having sex, all right?"

Nathaniel hesitated, torn between gallantry and his servitude to Artemis, but he nodded finally. "All right. But don't wander into anyone's royal chambers. They're colored like the attendants, so you should know."

"Right," I said with a nod, then waved as Nathaniel walked back inside. Only when the doors shut did I let out a shiver of disgust, and I walked away from the feast as fast as I could walk. It was a crude display of the nonchalance of everyone on Olympus, and though now I knew some were forced to tolerate some behavior, I didn't care. I had no wish to see it, and I never would.

The door opened behind me but I kept walking, my cheeks still stained from what I had witnessed, and as the footsteps began to close in on me, I looked back only to see Ares.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, well aware of why I had left.

"You win, I lose, I really don't care," I muttered with a wave.

"You're actually blushing," he stated, stopping short as he saw the red. "Since when do mortals have decency?"

"Since they just came from the mortal realm," I snapped back. "Sex should be behind closed doors, not for everyone to see! I saw no reason for porn then, and I still don't now!" Ares blinked, taken aback by my vehement defense, then smirked as he began to stalk over to me, his eyes intent.

"I see," he purred, his voice low and husky. Of course, I blushed worse and tried to bolt, but he caught my arm and pinned me against the wall with his body, his mouth skimming my cheeks softly even as his hands held mine over my head. "I know your weakness, mortal." I squirmed, trying to get out of his grasp, and even resorted to trying to bite him.

"Shut up! What are you going to do with it? Try to fuck me during battle? It may be a weakness, but it's not one you can even use!" Gods, I was so embarrassed right now, and I would have sold my soul to get him off of me. My sensibilities were still rocking from the sex in there, but Ares _had_ to come and find me at my vulnerable time. I attempted to bite him just to get him to stop kissing me, but I missed.

"Kinky," he purred, still not dropping the act. "Just remember, you bite me, I'll definitely devour you."

"Fuck you!" I cried out, finally resorting to using my knee to attempt to strike his most vulnerable place. Of course, he dodged, but it was enough to make his grip on me loosen, and I managed to get free. "Leave me alone, Ares. I'm not in the mood."

"I bet I can make you be in the mood," he stated with his trademark smirk.

"Leave. Me. Alone. I swear I'll hit you if you come near me."

"Is that a promise?"

"A threat!" God! He was insufferable, and I couldn't handle this type of male. I had no idea what to do to make him stop, to show I wasn't interested, or even handle him with wit.

"Then come, mortal. Fight me."

_Shit_._ Shitshitshit._

Kerys wasn't here to materialize my whip or sword, and for once, I was angry at Oberon and Titania. I was tipsy and getting accosted by Ares, and Kerys wasn't here to help me. Just damn the luck.

"I can't," I ground out. "You know it and I know it. I'll only be asking to get massacred and I really don't want blood on this dress. You made your point loud and clear when I came in here, and I'm smart enough to not throw myself at you." The last sentence made him grin and his eyes darken with lust, and I nearly growled in frustration. "I'm smart enough not to fight you," I amended. "I'm going to bed. Screw those mortals, screw the gods," I began to mutter as I whirled and stalked off, my hands clenched at my sides.

"Running away, mortal?" he taunted.

"Yes. Yes I am." I was sure my honesty took him by surprise, but I finally bolted, running from Ares, running from the depravity of the great hall, to who knows where.

I'd forgotten where my own chambers where, lost in the various hallways. Finally, when I got too lost, I stopped to catch my breath, still embarrassed, and strangely near tears. Why? I had no idea, but the shock of such a spectacle got to me more than I would ever admit to anyone. If this was daily, and assuming by Nathaniel's reaction it was, I didn't know if I could handle it.

"Damn it!" I swore again as I punched the wall beside of me. This had rocked me, but of course, this was never a simple matter. I heard footsteps again, and I whirled angrily to see Ares grinning at my discomfort. "What do you want from me?" I nearly yelled.

"Your pain is definitely my pleasure," he stated calmly. "Your eyes seem to shoot sparks at me, and I'll admit, irritating you is quite amusing."

"God," I muttered, clenching my fist. "Any other time and I'll be happy to irritate you right back. But now is definitely not the time."

"Is it because of sex?" he asked, his eyes darkening as he stepped toward me. As he closed the distance, I finally had enough and threw a punch to his face. I knew he would catch it and as he did so, he smirked. "Poor little mortal. Virgins have no place on Olympus," he whispered, his face perilously close to mine.

"I'm no virgin," I growled back, not backing down this one time. Whatever was fueling me, false bravado, pride, or desperation, I would take it. He wouldn't leave me alone until he was good and ready to.

"Oh?" Ares asked, definitely amused. "You don't act like it." Deciding to play his own game and get him off of my case, I dropped into the role he taunted me to do.

"What?" I murmured, my voice sultry. I let my eyes show desire and stepped toward him, only stopping when I pressed myself against him. My hands found their way to his sides and skimmed up to the top of his bare chest, where I splayed them against his warm skin. "I can act like this as I please." I nipped at his lips, trying valiantly to ignore the fact that his lips did feel good as I brushed against them, and continued the game. "I choose not to, because I find the reward isn't the effort." With that, I flicked his nose and turned to leave, leaving Ares laughing behind me.

"Well played, mortal," he stated, the first compliment he'd ever given me. "Well fucking played." Now, I smiled, and as I turned the corner, I saw a sea of green, and sighed in relief. I'd found Gaia's wing, and I was ready to go to sleep and forget this night ever happened.

I waited in the solar, letting the waterfall in the center of the room calm my frayed nerves, and I finally began to settle. The shock of such depravity apparently hit it home for me, but somehow, I knew I could handle it.

I had a sense of accomplishment from playing with Ares, along with a sense of renewed self confidence. Had he done so on purpose? I didn't think so. He didn't seem the subtle type, but then again, why had he followed me? Was he checking on me again? I wasn't hurt, nor had I given the illusion that I was disgusted, but he'd followed me outside. True, at first I wasn't ready to face him, but after he cornered me again, somehow I'd found enough confidence to fight back.

My head spun with all of these various scenarios, but I knew one thing. If Ares hadn't come after me, I might have gotten truly sick to my stomach. I might have been fine. Who knows? But because he did, I felt better – though it took a while for the feeling to settle in.

"Eveleen," I finally heard, and I brought myself out of my musings. "Did Ares find you?"

I nodded and relayed the encounters to Gaia, who simply sat on a bench next to me, watching me with eyes that seemed to see too much. "And I don't know why he came after me," I finally finished.

"Most know why you left," Gaia stated. "No one holds it against you; mortals usually start of shy when they first begin their service. Ares watched you leave and he slipped out to follow you. He seemed intent and of course, he does know your weakness. That being said, he was giving you strength to overcome it."

"What?" I asked, blinking. Would I ever understand Ares's intentions?

"He knew you were shy and probably sick to your stomach. He pressed the weakness farther, did he not?" I nodded. "He wanted to see how much it took for you to run or break. When he knew the limit, he followed you and stopped you again."

"He said he loves irritating me."

"Yes, he does love to get under opponent's skin; a trait he inherited from his sister Eris, no doubt. Then when he pressed you again, what did you do?"

"I got angry and tried to punch him."

"You fought the problem head on," Gaia corrected. "A warrior like trait."

"Self preservation!" I inserted quickly. "I was desperate."

"Even so, you faced it instead of running. Desperation or not, that took bravery. Then, you turned the tables on Ares and played his game. The words you used were the best you could have said, Eveleen, and he respected your mettle."

"Your outlook is way different than mine," I muttered, looking at the fountain. "He was just trying to irritate me, and he said it himself that he loves it."

"In time you will see," Gaia said, standing and reaching a hand out to me. "Now come." I took her hand and she helped me to my feet. "Your room is there," she pointed to the one in the center, the doorway lined in emeralds. "Now go and rest. Tomorrow we will begin your duties."

"Thank you, Gaia. For everything," I said softly, and she smiled and placed a hand on my cheek.

"Mortal, you have proven yourself today. You have character and decency, and you will learn to love it here. It is not home, but in time, I will take you back to see your parents."

"Promise?" I asked hopefully, and she nodded.

"I swear. Now go and sleep, Eveleen." I did as she bade and walked into my room. I gaped at the sheer decadency of it; it was loaded with emeralds, gold, and silver, but my mind had enough for one day. I took off the gown, making sure to fold it neatly and put it on the chair next to my bed. I crawled under the covers, sighing at the soft bed and silk blankets, but I lay down softly and closed my eyes.

As I drifted off to sleep it wasn't the image of home in my mind, nor Gaia as my protector. It was Ares gently smiling at me, which I knew would never happen. And as sleep claimed me, I finally admitted that even though the gentle smile didn't suit him, it still was still beautiful.

* * *

The next morning I woke easily, my mind delightfully clear of the emotions from yesterday, and I sighed in contentment. That had to be the best night of sleep I had ever gotten, and immediately, I looked around for Kerys. The Faerie, usually sleeping on my pillow, was nowhere in sight, and I felt a pang of grief. I missed my friend and had thought she would join me when she finished her duties to Zeus and Hera. Apparently not.

When I got up, I found the dress I had worn last night suspended at the side of my bed, and I blinked. Nothing was holding it up; it just stayed in midair, but by now, I shouldn't be surprised. I quickly grabbed it and changed into it, taking great care to smooth my unruly hair as I placed the emerald tiara on my head. It wasn't as easy as Gaia had made it last night, but it would have to do. I was starving and I needed to eat.

I peeked out into the solar and saw Nathaniel waiting for me, dozing on a bench with his body sprawled out in ways that just seemed uncomfortable. Smiling I walked over and poked him; he looked so adorable but if he had food for me, he was waking up.

"Nathaniel," I whispered, poking him again for good measure. He lazily opened his eyes, then closed them and stretched.

"About time you woke up."

"I wasn't aware there was a curfew," I shot back; partly annoyed that no one had told me and partly in shame for not asking.

"There isn't. I'm taking you to breakfast."

"Well aren't you sweet." He glanced my way at my teasing tone and stood.

"All right, all right," he muttered. "Dually noted. Would you like to come to breakfast with me so I can show you were it is?"

"Wouldn't it be in the hall from last night?" I asked.

"Gods," Nathaniel blurted out with a laugh. "I love showing around the new mortals. No, the gods are very decadent. They have different feasting halls for every meal of the day." I deadpanned and my mouth dropped open.

"Are you serious?" With a laugh, Nathaniel slung an arm around my shoulders and began to lead me out of the solar and to wherever breakfast was being held.

"Completely. And that's not even the fun part of my self induced tour for you. Wait until you see the bathing chambers."

"Do I really want to?"

"Every woman here loves Gaia's bathing chambers best, so yes. Yes you do." I was lead through various chambers, noting the blood red of Ares on the wall, then turned the corner to see yet another lavishly decorated doorway.

"Here's breakfast. Most of the gods aren't here this time of day, so it's more relaxed than usual."

"How come?" I asked as Nathaniel opened the doors. Sure enough, I didn't see any gods, and Athena was the only goddess present. I went to Gaia's table and sat, then realized we didn't have any food. I winced, realizing that Gaia had conjured it the first time around, but Nathaniel only smiled.

"There's much you don't know," he said, and with a wave of his hand, food appeared.

"How did you do that?" I nearly yelled. "You're not a god, are you?" Nathaniel smiled broadly and popped a piece of fruit into his mouth.

"Personal attendants are very serious business on Olympus," he began to explain. "Only a few mortals ever get the privilege, and soon, you'll realize you've been highly honored in being chosen."

"I don't get it. Why do you even have powers?" Nathaniel took three grapes and began to spin them above his hand idly as he leaned back, the picture of relaxation.

"We are the god's personal attendants. There are times when we must help them, or even pick up the slack when they refuse to do their jobs. If Gaia decided not to till the earth one day, and the whole land died because of it, where would the people living there go? How would they work? Their whole livelihood was just destroyed in one fit of a temper tantrum. Mind you, Gaia wouldn't do that, but other gods would. That's why Zeus declared personal attendants. We gain a fraction of their powers and look after our masters."

"So, we're babysitters." Nathaniel winced at the term, but grudgingly nodded.

"In the crudest of ways, yes. But we're so much more. Eveleen, you've been chosen out of billions of mortals on earth. Your character, your charm, your devotion, and even your beauty drew the mother of most of the gods to you, and she saw something in you that made you immediately different from other mortals." Intrigued, I glanced up at him.

"What did she see?" I asked softly, my tone serious.

"That's something only Gaia would know," he answered. "But just remember. You were chosen and you will live the life of luxury that you only dreamed of in your most outlandish dreams. You see there?" He pointed to Ares's table, where warriors sat in red dining with one another.

However, the one Nathaniel pointed to was twirling a blade in his hand, his sky blue eyes roaming the halls around him, as if he were still scanning for an attacker of any sort. He was tall and well built; I could see his muscles all the way from here. He wore leather armor and a red undershirt to show his loyalty to Ares, but all in all, he was definitely a warrior and definitely handsome.

"The blond?" I asked, casting a languid glance in his direction. Sure enough, the warrior felt my stare and held my gaze for a moment. However, it seemed like minutes, but only a few seconds passed before he cocked an eyebrow, then moved his gaze away.

"That's Achilles," Nathaniel said cheerfully.

"No fucking way!" I swore, rounding on Nathaniel.

"How many mortals could boast to see the great Achilles?" he continued, chewing an apple as he grinned triumphantly. "I mean, I read stories about Achilles when I was a little boy and here he is, just sitting mere tables down from us."

"Holy shit," I muttered. "I remember reading stuff about the Trojan War. Even the movie Troy came to Ireland. I mean…well, he's even better looking than Brad Pitt, and I honestly don't know how that's possible."

Nathaniel threw back his head and laughed. "Leave it to a woman to see the beauty first and the honor later." I cast a woman's glance at him, silently telling him to go fuck himself, but he only grinned. "That's why I love it here. Everything told to me in my childhood lives right here in Olympus." I looked up once to see Achilles looking at me, his features bland, and it was me who looked away this time. I began to eat delicately, the fruit more to my liking than the meat, and looked up as Nathaniel swore.

"Son of a bitch, here he comes."

I looked up and casually ate a slice of pineapple, trying to play the part of a cool artisan. Inside, I was shaking with anticipation and nerves, but I tried not to let it show. He was just a man, for heaven's sake.

Okay. He was so much more. I couldn't lie to myself even if I believed it.

"You're new," he stated bluntly as he reached the table. Up closer his eyes were even more mesmerizing. Perhaps it was because of the chin length blond hair that fell around his face, or his patrician features. He looked elegant, but the way he moved was calculated. His eyes were hardened flecks and showed no emotion. He was a warrior. Beautiful, but a warrior.

"I'm Gaia's new personal attendant," I replied, eyeing him. What did he want? Why was he even over here? Instead of leaving, he merely sat down and looked at Nathaniel at my side.

"Leave us for a while. I want to talk to the woman." Nathaniel looked as if he was going to wet himself with excitement – Achilles did speak to him directly if only for a moment – but he jumped up with a mumbled yes and went back to Artemis's table to sit with some of the other normal attendants.

"What is it?" I asked curiously. He was eyeing me both as a man and a warrior, each sizing up different aspects of me. I wasn't used to this blatant perusal, nor did I deny it was both pleasurable and uncomfortable. I liked his stare…sort of.

"You're the woman Ares fought."

"That's right. And you heard I lost, I suppose." Instead of taunting me of his master's victory, as I thought he would, he merely smiled sardonically.

"If you thought you could defeat a god, you were a fool." He took a grape from in front of him and popped it into his mouth, savoring the taste.

"I knew I was going to lose. He toyed with me the entire time, then he used his god powers to show how weak I was. I know what he was about." Just thinking about the memory had my anger sparking.

"He used his god powers?" Achilles asked, finally stopping his stare and looking into my eyes as if for the first time.

"Aye. When I materialized my sword."

"So you're a warrior, then." I just blinked at his rapid assessment; it was all I could manage at the moment. All my mind could think of or say, was,

"What?" I repeated dumbly.

"I know Ares. He would fear losing to a mortal, especially a woman. So if he was in danger of giving any ground to you, he would have used his powers."

"I guess," I admitted.

"What's your name?"

"Eveleen."

"Odd name."

"And Achilles isn't?" I shot back without thinking. When I registered what I had blurted, I colored a bit, but Achilles laughed once.

"Where do you hail?"

"Ireland." He nodded before I could ask if he knew where it was, probably saving me years of shame and embarrassment.

"Do you come from warriors?"

"No. I'm the first one in my family to learn how to fight. If it wasn't for the Fae, I _wouldn't_ know how to fight."

"The gods of Ireland?" he asked.

"Aye. You're well informed."

"After centuries, you will be too."

"I'll bet," I quipped dryly. "So what brings you to my table?"

"Curiosity." He took an apple and chewed, still staring at me. I fidgeted, but I didn't look away this time. Instead, he smirked. "Uncomfortable?"

"A little," I said honestly. "And I still don't know why I would hold any interest in you at all."

"Honesty," he mused. "Refreshing. I came to see Gaia's new personal attendant. Does this concern you?"

"I guess not. It's just…I mean…you…you're like…the most famous warrior of all time. And I'm just some random personal attendant that'll be here for a few years before I die. I'm not all that interesting. Just one other mortal coming to live on Olympus." He looked - really looked at me - then took another bite of his apple while he digested my words.

"You really believe you're a normal mortal? Then why did Gaia chose you?" I looked away, acknowledging I didn't know. "You're also a warrior who fights with both a whip and sword. That's a rare fighting style, and I am curious of how it works. Plus, a new mortal is a new amusement for us. If not, we would go crazy over lack of entertainment. And – "

He stood and walked over to me, placing his hands on the back of the chair, giving an illusion of wrapping his arms around me. He leaned forward and I plastered myself against the back of the chair. However, he wasn't deterred. He followed me to where his lips were inches from my nose and gave me the most sexual look a man has ever given me. I felt the impact all the way to my stomach, where heat blossomed and grew in reaction, and he smiled, knowing he was turning me on.

"You're beautiful, even to my lofty standards." The last part was a taunt to me, yet it was small enough that I knew he was teasing me in his own way. "Oh, mortal, you may know some of your beauty, else you would have chased me given the chance, but I'll never want a woman like that. I want one ripe for the taking."

Oh my stars. I could feel myself melting at his feet, loving the arrogance and sexual waves coming from him. No longer was he Achilles, the greatest warrior of all time, he was a sexual god, nameless in the web he spun around me. His eyes were sinful as they gazed at me, but the heat of them was scorching.

"I want a woman who purrs under my touch," he skimmed a finger down my cheek, his touch so light I hardly felt it, but the impact it left packed a punch. "Whose passion matches my own. Who can stand hours of pleasure and hold nothing back. A beauty that men would wage wars for, who would cause men to envy my very existence. Could you be that woman, Eveleen?"

I was saved from answering by a throat being cleared. Achilles never jumped, nor did he look guilty in the slightest, he merely turned his head a fraction to see the person to our left. His arms he kept around me, holding the tension around me as long as he could. Gaia stood beside us, already seated two seats down, and she sent Achilles a highly amused glance.

"Achilles, you never cease to amaze me." Instead of turning haughty, he genuinely smiled at her.

"Gaia. Your attendant is intoxicating."

"And you haven't even seen her fight yet, great hero," she said with a small laugh. "Perhaps after this meal we can all go to Ares's training grounds? She can show you her skill there."

Now Achilles turned his head back to me and I shivered in reaction. The smile that graced his lips was one of knowledge and triumph that he'd gotten under my skin and he slowly backed away, letting his arms drop to his sides.

"I accept your terms. Come to me when you're ready, Eveleen. I'll show you the proper way to battle."

"I'm sure I could learn a few pointers from you," I acknowledged brightly. He simply shook his head.

"Can't even taunt the wench properly," he muttered. "But I'm sure our…play…will be worth it." After that, he simply strolled away like he hadn't just nearly had me on the floor, and I turned to Gaia.

"What do you think of Achilles?" she asked lightly as she began to eat.

"Whoa." It was the only word I could think of, and the only one that could describe what had happened. Now, Gaia laughed, and it was the first true laugh I'd ever heard from her. Most of the people around us stopped to stare at her, but she didn't care. She just turned back to me with a broad smile.

"Oh, Eveleen. Achilles has always been this way on Olympus. Every woman is a new conquest to him. I don't wish to cheapen what happened-"

"A new war to be won?" I interjected. "I understand. But it's still nice that a man can do that to me and I not melt to the floor. Good lord, I'd die if I had a night alone with him." Gaia dissolved into laughter once more and I kept my gaze away from Ares's table and away from Achilles.

"Even I have tasted Achilles for myself," she said, her eyes twinkling. "It is as you say. It takes a bit of stamina and perhaps a bit of one's powers to keep up. He's very…lasting, shall we say." I blinked at her, not used to her speaking so openly of sex, but again, I understood. The atmosphere of Olympus screamed sexual tension and gluttony of every variety, and I could figure sex would just fit right in.

"Remind me to never try that one out," I muttered dryly. "Not for lack of imagining, mind you." I said this with a blush, knowing I would in fact dream of Achilles, but wouldn't every woman?


	4. Training and Expectations

Oh my. I never expected this story would have any types of reviews, or this much favorites, or even this many views! You guys rock! So, in lieu of the somehow buzz of the story, I've decided to sit my ass down and continue, to kick my muse into gear, so to speak. I kinda miss writing, you know? Anyways! Enjoy!

* * *

An hour later, Gaia found me outside of the training room, nervously looking at the door with my thumbnail in my mouth. She smiled softly and laughed at my dilemma.

"What is it, Eveleen?" she asked. Nathaniel had shown me to where Achilles trained daily, but now, I had no wish to go inside.

"I'm having second thoughts."

"So I see," she replied. Normally I would have glared at the comment, but I let it pass this one time. "You realize that even if you have no skill with the blade, Achilles wouldn't mind? Believe it or not, he makes a great fighting instructor, and he will love to train you."

"I don't want to disappoint him." Gaia walked the step over to me and gently took my hand from my mouth. She slid a hand over my hair and smiled down at me, much like my mother used to.

"You will not disappoint him with lack of skill with the blade. Firstly, I have seen you fight and you will be enough of a challenge for Achilles to keep his interest. Secondly, he would be disappointed if you did not show up, when you clearly promised you would train with him." Her hand smoothed down the curls around my forehead, and slowly but surely, I began to relax.

"I guess," I muttered, already knowing Gaia had won this round.

"Now go on. Behave and make me proud."

"Is Kerys almost done with Zeus?" I asked Gaia. "I need my sword and whip."

"I will call for her," she replied. "Now stop stalling and go." I shot her a disgruntled look but walked in regardless. And boy, was I glad I did.

Achilles wore tight cloth pants and the V neck shirt Ares had worn which dipped down and showed an incredible amount of muscles, each defined beyond what a man should be. He was fighting an invisible opponent, so his hair whipped around his perfect face, and his sinful eyes were alive with the pleasure of the fight. His muscles rippled underneath his skin as he showed off his prowess as a man and warrior and I could no more look away that I stop breathing. He was magnificent.

"Are you going to stare all day or will you come and play with me, Eveleen?" His amused voice brought me out of my feminine perusal, and a light blush stained my cheeks in response. Drat the man for being so observant.

"I have to wait for Kerys," I replied. "She has my sword and my whip."

"Kerys will be at Zeus's mercy for a while yet," Achilles replied as he finished his mock fight. He turned to me and my heart literally clenched; the sheer male aura combined with his drop dead sexy looks was just too potent of a combination. "He always had a weakness for the 'wee ones'." Again he surprised me with his knowledge, but this time I let it pass. "Is there someone else you can call, mortal? I do wish to play with you." The blush darkened on my cheeks, but I nodded reluctantly.

"I call Bruadar. Please, Bru. Can you hear me?" It was difficult to call the Fae from their realm; I hadn't their ability to transverse ethereal planes, so my voice to them was as if they heard it from underwater. It was unreliable at best, but sometimes I was heard and answered. Fortunately Bruadar heard my call.

A green portal opened beside of me and I smiled in relief. Bruadar stepped out, looking every inch the mischievous Cheshire cat, and cast an assessing glance at Achilles. Achilles, however, was looking at the Fae with a contemplative stare. He could sense that this Fae was a warrior as well; Bruadar always struck men as imposing or too powerful to deal with. Fortunately, Achilles was probably his match and perhaps even more.

"Beauty, have you finally called for a champion?" he purred, his eyes watching Achilles like a hawk. "I'll be honored to fight for you, beauty." I just shook my head at the Fae and smiled.

"No, Bruadar. I'm sorry to have summoned you for so little of a thing, but can I have my whip and my sword? Kerys is still in conference with Zeus and she will probably be there all day. I would like to train and spare with Achilles."

"Beauty, nothing is too trivial for you." With a wave of his hand, the whip materialized on my left side and my sword on my right hip. "Remember beauty, call for me if you have need. Any need." The last part made me blink in surprise; he rarely showed a romantic interest in me and it did catch me off guard. He stepped back into the portal and glanced once at Achilles, who smirked at the Fae. The portal closed, leaving the warrior and I alone, and Achilles looked at me with that probing stare of his.

"Is he your lover, Eveleen?"

"No!" I cried out. "He's more of my guardian than anything. He just…likes to stir up trouble to amuse himself."

"I see. So I still have a chance at capturing your heart." Quickly I buried my face in my palm and groaned in exasperation and embarrassment. Achilles chuckled at my discomfort and raised his sword to point it at me in mock challenge. "Come, Eveleen. Show me your skill with the blade and I will stop tempting you for the moment." Even though my face was on fire, I drew my sword and uncurled my whip with both hands.

"Go easy on me," I told him, nervousness finally beginning to set in. I did not want to disappoint him, but I didn't want to be seriously injured again like Ares had done to me.

"I know how to treat a woman," he purred. Even though the comment made me blush, I cracked the whip once in the air and sent him a hopefully saucy smirk. If I could draw him away from these topics, I might actually learn a few pointers on combat. I was actually looking forward to his instruction; I found a bit of fun to be had in battles and fighting. Strange, but it must be my Irish ancestry.

At the crack of the whip, his gaze darkened and his grin widened.

"Kinky," he replied darkly. Now that I was fully drawn into battle mode, the comment rolled off of my shoulders, much like Zeus's compliments.

"You have no idea," I retorted. For a moment, we were silent as we waited anxiously for the other to begin the battle, and I was getting even more excited by the second. How was I nervous about this? I almost didn't fight him! That would have been a mistake on my part, because I was definitely ready to begin.

So I made the first move and cracked the whip near his sword. Achilles lowered his arm and charged, only getting caught by my whip once on his left arm, and slammed into my blade. I was surprised by the amount of force put into his attacks, but I only took one step back before I could recover. His smile was a few inches away from my own, the locked blades trembling with the force we put into our defenses.

"Well. I didn't expect you to be particularly strong," he allowed. "Now I am impressed, Eveleen." His praise warmed me and gave me the strength to push him back. He took only one step back, but it was enough for me to crack the whip on one of his legs. The cut was easily ignored, which was probably the only reason he didn't realize the tip was dipped in the paralyzing agent. Instead he attacked again, this time, in a flurry of slashes and hacks designed to wear down my defenses. However, defense was my strong point. The handle of the whip was enough to deflect and absorb the power of his attacks and the sword could catch what the whip could not.

After a few moments of watching Achilles, I realized that he was indeed much better than me, even though that came as no surprise. He wasn't fighting at full capacity and I had been since the battle began. I was destined to lose again, but this time, I didn't feel as if I had lost. I felt as if I was going to be merely bested by a better warrior and that I could live with.

What seemed like ages later, his sword finally broke through my defenses and he pointed the tip at the hollow at the bottom of my neck. I immediately went still, though my body heaved with each breath. His eyes, dark with the pleasure of battle and the desire of a woman, were trained on me as he watched me for my reaction.

"You win," I simply stated.

"Indeed." We both fell silent again until he finally dropped his sword. "You fight remarkably well for a woman. I am actually impressed with your skill. A shame that you do not serve Ares."

"I think I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was meant as one." Behind us the door opened and I turned, expecting to see Gaia. To my dismay, I realized the sea of red only meant one thing. "Ares," Achilles greeted.

Damn.

"What are you doing training without me?" the man behind the god said, coming out to mock glare at Achilles.

"Playing with a woman, Ajax. Can you fault me?" I knew of Ajax…somewhat. My brother had spoken of me of the Trojan War and through him, I had learned of the second best warrior. Ajax. He had been close to Achilles and probably was still very close.

The warrior's eyes roamed my body and I just sighed in frustration. Would all men be like this here?

"Is all you men think about on Olympus sex?" I asked, the grievance in my tone enough to cause both men to laugh and Ares to smirk.

"What else is better?" Ajax replied as Ares watched me calmly. "And who won this battle?"

"Achilles, of course," I replied. "Even if I trained all of my life, I couldn't come close to beating him." Now Achilles looked down at his arm, then back at me.

"Your whip. It's tainted." I smirked and slid my eyes over to the now disgruntled blond.

"Now you realize this?"

"Hush, wench."

"All's fair in love and war, Achilles." Though he tried not to, a smirk did grace his handsome features. "Do you need me to leave so you two can spar?"

"The day we don't spar for a woman is the day I visit old Hades again," Ajax replied glibly.

"I can see Achilles has no influence on you whatsoever," I quipped as I sheathed my sword.

"Wait. Play with me, mortal. You can't show favor to just Achilles." Ajax said, walking over to the horde of weapons on the far side of the room. I cocked my head to the side, confused. What was it with men and wanting to see how I fought? There were enough female attendants I'd seen at Ares's table to make me realize I wasn't the only female warrior here, but for some odd reason, I was getting the same response. Mentally I shrugged. I didn't mind the extra attention, I would admit it, and I would love to continue my education on fighting.

"If you wish," I allowed. I wasn't going to turn down a fight just because I was a bit tired from Achilles. I only missed Kerys, because Oberon would have loved to have seen me fight with these two famous men. I would have been richly rewarded and pampered for it, I was sure. Thinking of the Fae king made me smile, like it always did.

Ajax selected a spear and twirled it experimentally. I was impressed by the dexterity in his fingers; he really looked as if he had been born with a spear in his hand. He nodded, then turned and came back to me, holding his spear at the ready.

"Are you ready, mortal?" he asked.

"Only if you are." He smirked and leapt almost in the same instant, thrusting his spear at my midsection in a relatively weak blow. I knew that these warriors had to be gentle with me, but that attack was just pitiful and insulting. I blocked his spear and brought my whip down high on his shoulder, smirking at the small hiss he elicited. Achilles began to laugh as Ajax stepped away, now wary.

"Old friend, you are an idiot. You can see she is a warrior, yet you don't fight her. You merely pamper her. Show her how you truly are, but she does want you to 'be gentle'." I glared at the unrepentant blond, then at Ajax as he began to chuckle.

"Fine," he replied. "Are you ready, mortal? I won't hold back." Again I cracked my whip, this time tapping the tip of his spear, showing my control and aim with the unconventional weapon. Now he lunged and the duel began once again.

I had to admit, fighting against a spear wasn't my strong suit. I wasn't used to the way he would stab, then try to slice, and I was kept on the defensive for the majority of the battle. The movements with the spear were odd and wholly unexpected, so it was no surprise when he finally cut my leg. Immediately he stopped the battle, but I didn't want that. I wanted to fight more with him, to watch how the spear was utilized and fought with, and a mere cut like this wasn't going to stop me.

He blocked as I jumped at him, and I crouched and whirled, catching one of his legs to throw him off balance. Knowing this was my chance to even the odds if but for a moment, I kicked his stomach using my position from the ground, and he stumbled back a step more, wavering between falling and standing. Now I just gave up all pretenses of hand to hand combat and leapt, catching the hilt of his spear with my sword as he went down. I landed straddling him and I quickly pointed the bottom of my hilt against his throat. It was enough for a victory, since if I hit him hard enough; he could choke and give me the opportunity to finish him.

"Well, well," Achilles whistled. I quickly got off of Ajax, ignoring the sharp stinging in my leg, and sheathed my sword and curled up my whip. Ajax got up slowly as he grinned from ear to ear.

"Teaches me to underestimate and coddle a wench," he stated. "Well done. I didn't expect that of you." I shrugged daintily and looked back at Achilles.

"So, are you going to train me?" I asked. Now it was Ajax's turn to be surprised, because I saw his jaw drop.

"Achilles volunteered to train you?"

"Well, not in so much words, maybe just enough to show me a few pointers…I mean-" I rambled, but Achilles interrupted me.

"I did. Fascinating mortal, is she not?" Ajax watched me thoughtfully, then nodded his assent.

"She is." I flushed at the two men speaking as if I wasn't in the room with them, but I didn't speak up. Apparently Achilles training me was a huge ordeal if Ajax's reaction was anything to go by and I wasn't going to screw this up with a thoughtless comment. "I want to train her as well."

"Naturally. Wench. Have you been trained or told about your god powers and responsibilities?"

"Not yet," I replied. "Gaia hasn't really started to teach me anything yet." Achilles nodded.

"She will today. Probably wanted you to have fun for a while before the training begins," Achilles informed.

"You know the mortal won't be taught for a while yet," Ares replied, finally speaking up. I was glad he did, in fact. A quiet Ares I wasn't used to. "You will be allowed a week to come to terms with this place, as if you need it." I quirked an eyebrow, not sure of whether the last part was an insult or compliment. "Then you will begin training with your powers. Achilles, train her in my quarters."

"Planned on it," the blond replied. All three male eyes were on me and I fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable. "Though I have to say I love the unique fighting style, I'm going to teach you how to wield other weapons. Have you been trained with anything else?"

"No," I replied, shaking my head. "Just the whip, sword, and the bow."

"The bow? We will have to call in Odysseus to judge. It has been a while since any mortal with considerable skill has come through Olympus." Oh great, more tests and tribulations I had to endure.

"I'll teach her the spear," Ajax interjected. "It would be entertaining, I'm sure." Strangely I didn't hear a sexual connotation in that, and it slightly unnerved me. He seemed almost…fond of me, instead of interested in how I was in bed. Shocking.

"I don't know if I could," I answered. "It seems like an odd weapon to use." With a grin, Ajax threw the spear at me, and I easily caught it in both hands.

"Here, wench. You have nothing to do for the day, so let's begin your training." I honestly thought about it for two seconds before I nodded. I had nothing to do but explore for a week – supposedly – and I was interested in the spear, plus, I had two of the greatest warriors and a god in the room to teach me. Call me opportunistic, but I wasn't going to pass this up.

"Okay." Ajax walked back to the wall and grabbed two spears, then threw one to Achilles.

"Watch, wench. This is how a spear battle is fought." With that, the two men thrust at almost the same time, and the battle was on. I watched avidly as tried to grasp the mechanics of fighting with the spear. It seemed to focus on the quick jabs and the position of the hilt to block, parry, or defend, and the spearhead itself was not only used to jab, but to slice the opponent as well. Achilles' shirt had already suffered a small tear, but neither man was really attempting to make the battle anything but a mock one. I also knew they were slowing their moves to allow me to watch, and I was grateful.

"Do you see?" Ares spoke, and I jumped. He had his arms crossed as his seasoned eyes watched the two warriors.

"See what?" I asked. I was unnerved by the fact Ares hadn't tried to insult or antagonize me, and I did miss the verbal sparring. But then again, I didn't want him to be an asshole when he was trying to teach me either.

"How they fight. Or are you not watching?" Okay, so he could still throw an insult out there. That put me back in stride and in the comfortable Ares zone. I knew this Ares. I could fuck with this Ares…not the silent, watchful one.

"I am," I countered. "I'm not an idiot." I was silent for a moment, then finally admitted, "But I don't understand the mechanics yet. It's a lot different than the sword."

"Of course it is. It's a different weapon. What did you expect?" I spared a small glare for the god before turning my attention back to the battle.

"Why are you letting them train me?" I asked him quietly. "You said that you just love to annoy me."

"I'm the god of war," he replied. "I would never forbid someone from learning the art the world has lost. You have enough talent to eventually be useful to me, and perhaps I will allow you to fight by my side eventually. That is, if you show promise, mortal."

"You fight?" I asked him. "The world uses guns and other technology to fight. Why would you participate in those wars?"

"You don't understand, wench. I'm a god. I can take any form I please, and can fight in any war I wish to. Do you think that I cannot find one battle in which to fight? Plus, we are not the only gods in this world, mortal. We have fought many times against Odin, and we have won."

"Odin?" I queried.

"The Norse god. Catch up on your mythology, would you?"

"I've been here for a couple of days. Fuck you."

"Hmph." I glared once more at the god before turning back to Achilles and Ajax, who were winding down their battle. A few deflects later, they turned back to me, their eyes still alive with the thrill of battle.

"So you see, wench?" Ajax asked. "This is the best weapon. Not the sword."

"You have been misinformed," Achilles replied, cutting his eyes to the brawn warrior on his right. "The sword is vastly superior to the spear."

"Do you want to find out?" Ajax threatened, though his eyes were playful.

"I'll pass. I've no wish to defeat you in front of the woman."

"Oh?" Ajax drawled. I just giggled at their antics; both of them together were quite amusing instead of being intimidating.

"So will you teach me or flirt with Achilles all day?" I teased, catching onto the playful atmosphere of the two men.

"Wench," Ajax growled, but I could see he was still playing with me. Good. I didn't want to alienate him, just to tease him. "Hold out your spear." I did as he asked, trying to remember the way he held it. "No, like this." Ajax walked over to stand behind me, then lifted the spear to slant to chest height to my knees in the back. "You hold the spear with strength." He gripped the spear and shook it. "That way no enemy can rip this away from you. Tighter." I complied, though I was feeling like a lost little kid, but I kept with him. With Ares watching, I was a bit tense and uncomfortable, but not to the extent of where I had to flee to escape him.

"Put your leg back. Lead with the right leg. Now swing more to the side. There." Achilles was watching me closely, and I was amazed to see no lust or desire in his eyes. He was now every inch the commander and teacher, and I saw what Gaia had meant about him being a great instructor. He knew not to push or demean me in front of others and he was just stating instructions instead of barking them out. "That's the basic spear stance."

Behind us, the door opened again, and I glared at the door and the intruder. I was busy, dammit! I was learning something interesting and didn't want anyone to disturb us. But I just had to sigh as I saw who came in. Gaia entered with Kerys and both women made the same expression of amazement that I snorted in laughter.

"So you're going to teach my attendant?" Gaia asked. "Achilles, you never cease to amaze me. Ajax, I could see you teaching her, but not the lofty Achilles." Her tone was teasing and a tad bit sensual, but Achilles merely grinned at Gaia.

"Your attendant is intoxicating," he repeated. I rolled my eyes even as I rose from the battle stance, and placed the bottom of the spear on the floor as I watched Gaia.

"Isn't she?" Gaia replied easily. "Yet I must take her away for now. You can play with her later, Achilles."

"A shame," he replied on a sigh. He turned to put the spear away and Ajax grabbed my own spear and walked over to the weapons stock as well. "Come, Eveleen. We have much to discuss, and we must heal the cut on your leg." I looked down, totally forgetting about the cut on my leg, then grinned as I heard Kerys sigh in frustration.

"How many times do I have to tell you to watch how you train?" the Fae asked. "If you're hurt, you must treat the wound."

"It's just a flesh wound," I replied.

"This is not Monty Python. Come on, let's get you fixed up." Kerys gestured me over to the women, and I sighed, resigned in the fact I wouldn't be trained today. Gaia turned and walked out, Kerys on her shoulder, and as I reached the door I hesitated and turned back to the three men. Ajax and Achilles had their back to me, but Ares was watching me with a look I couldn't even begin to place. His arms were crossed over his defined chest, and I could see the raw strength in him, causing me to sigh inwardly. If only he was a mortal; I would have liked to try my hand at him. With a last look, I turned and walked out, feeling the weight of his stare on my back.

"How was it, Eveleen?" Gaia asked as the door shut behind me.

"Fun. Really fun, actually. Ajax is going to teach me to fight with a spear and Achilles said he would train me farther. Probably with the sword."

"That is indeed a surprise," Gaia admitted, leading me down hallways toward our quarters. "He is picky when it comes to people he trains. His women, not so much, but he values prowess more than you can imagine. As a warrior, you made an impression on him, one that will last for your time here."

"Why?" I asked her. "I lost to him, I lost to Ares, and the only reason I beat Ajax is because he didn't expect me to be any good."

"You beat Ajax? Impressive."

"But he was surprised. That's the only reason why I won."

"That is war, is it not? A surprise attack will nearly always decimate an enemy. You beat Ajax and gained his respect. You will probably not defeat him again, but it was enough for him to begin to respect you as a warrior. Achilles, however, has the ability to see your mettle as a person and as a warrior. If he sees enough potential, only then will he acknowledge you. Women are notoriously low on his list of potential warriors, Eveleen, and you have enough mettle for him to respect you."

"He said that I should have been an attendant to Ares," I stated.

"Oh Oberon protect me," Kerys stated. "That would have been a nightmare. Imagine what havoc you could start living in Ares's quarters. Temperamental warriors could easily kill one another."

"You are right, Kerys," Gaia stated. "But I'm sure Eveleen could hold her own."

"That's what scares me," Kerys groaned. "They would come to her to take the position of the strongest. She'd _always_ be fighting and eventually start to really get annoyed and beat the shit out of them." I snorted at the Fae's imaginary woes. "Think of how I would explain to Oberon why you were in time out with Hades." Now I burst out laughing, because the possibility wasn't that improbable. Or it was because of the 'time out with Hades' portion of that comment.

"Don't worry, Kerys. Gaia found me first."

"His loss, my gain," the god replied with a dainty shrug. "But take that compliment and keep it close, Eveleen. Achilles does not say those words lightly." Her explanation and the knowledge of how much those words actually meant warmed me.

"Do you think Achilles and I could be friends?" I asked seriously.

"I believe so," she replied. "And if he decides that he wishes to be, you will have the greatest protector the world has ever known." Her words stirred something in me, a fierce pride that caused a smile to form on my face. Perhaps it was because I had made my first friend, or because it was the great Achilles. But perhaps the pride was for Achilles himself, because he was the greatest warrior the world ever knew, and still remembered to this day.

"Here." I looked up to see that we were entering the outer chambers of my room, and relaxed when he finally entered my own room. Kerys shut the door behind her with her latent magic and Gaia just waved a hand. The bloody dress disappeared and I blushed, instinctively covering my bra. Kerys began to laugh and I glared at the impish Fae.

"Now, I want you to look at your leg. The cut is very shallow, right?" I nodded at Gaia's words, and she knelt and took my hand in her own. She placed it over the cut and looked up at me. "I will heal you, but only using your own powers." I was still surprised to hear that I had powers, especially since I had not been able to use them yet, but I was getting used to the fact that I indeed had powers. Heady feeling, that.

"How will you do that?" I sat down on the bed and watched her, still trying not to feel uncomfortable with my lack of clothes.

"The ambrosia you drank granted you powers, but they are still small because you have not trained with them yet. It is not a flaw," she continued, almost as if she was reading my thoughts, "But a fact. We will begin training when you are ready. Now. Do you feel this?" I felt a curious stirring in my body, a slight tingling and a sort of influx of power in my fingertips.

"Yeah," I breathed out. Again the tingling swept from my heart to my extremities, causing me to shiver in delight and anticipation. Something in me leapt at the power I began to feel flowing through me, feeling much like a heartbeat.

"It is," Gaia answered. "The power is aligned in your blood, in your very essence. It is your heartbeat. It is your life-force. This is now who you are. You are a demi-god in human terms, and never forget that you are special, Eveleen." The power began to beat faster, harder, and I knew that Gaia was drawing on more of my power. I closed my eyes at the ecstasy of strength and competence, and I knew that this would be the best part of coming to Olympus.

Below, I felt the power concentrate in my hand, and I opened my eyes to watch. My hand was glowing a dark green that matched the drapes in my room and I felt a heat begin to rise on my leg. It was if the heat began on the bone and expanded outwards, and I couldn't feel any pain as I felt the heat began to concentrate on the cut. I watched in fascination as the cut seemed to sew itself back together, the wound disappearing as if it had never been.

"Amazing," I breathed. "This is what Bruadar must feel like." The power began to hum and die, but the warmth remained even after Gaia released the healing spell. Suddenly, I was swamped with a wave of exhaustion so fierce I nearly fell to the floor. However, Gaia caught me easily and kept me sitting on my bed.

"I overdrew your power on purpose, Eveleen. I want you to feel this feeling. This is a slight overdraft of your powers, and you must understand that you can never use everything you have or you will die. This is a lesson I cannot stress enough of. You have not had enough ambrosia to compensate for using all of your powers and you will not use your powers outside of Olympus until I can trust you. That is non-negotiable."

"I…understand." It was tough to even keep my eyes open and I felt as if I was swimming in water. My head felt light and fuzzy and the rest of my body felt as if weights were attached to each limb. It took a lot of my concentration to even clench my first, which terrified me. I never wanted to be this vulnerable. Ever.

"I'll give you my powers, but remember this lesson." Oh, I would remember this all right. Now Gaia placed a hand on my head, and I felt my heart beat painfully once before I felt the influx of power once again. The heartbeat of power began to grow stronger and I sighed aloud in relief. Never again did I want to feel like that. "This is not so you will not use your powers. You must train with me every day until you become used to the drain."

"I understand," I repeated, shaking my head to clear the fuzzy feeling. With a wave of Gaia's free hand, I was once again clothed in her garb, and I sighed in relief again. However, I found myself still tired, even though I felt the power in me once again.

"Tomorrow, Eveleen. You will still be tired from overuse, so you must sleep, no matter if you wish to or not. Plus, you must rest to train with Ajax and Achilles." The hand on my head began to grow warm, and I felt the pull of sleep become more than I could handle. I felt Kerys's magic lower me to the ground as Gaia took away her hand, but the goddess didn't stop there. She picked up the covers and placed them under my chin, then smoothed down my hair once as a mother would do.

"And Ares," I replied softly. "Ares said he'll train me too."

"You are an incredible mortal," Gaia stated, her hand still petting my hair. "Go to sleep, Eveleen. We will speak more tomorrow." And with that, the heat from her hand finally pulled me into the realm of dreams.


	5. The First Day

Thank you to all the reviewers. You all made me smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. So, here's the longest chapter to date to thank you all for your feedback and support!

And for the record, _italics_ are for when she is being spoken mind to mind, and also used to show where she is speaking native Irish.

Also, I'm looking for someone to just read over my chapters and to let me know if they're postable or not. I go through a nailbiting period when I post a story, and it drives me crazy! I'd rather someone just let me know if I should change anything or not.

ANWYAYS! Hope you all love the story!

* * *

The next morning I awoke to a warmth on my cheek, a soft subtle warmth that woke me slowly and peacefully. As my eyes fluttered open, I saw Gaia above me, a mother's smile on her beautiful face.

"Wake up, Eveleen. How did you sleep?"

"Very well, thank you," I murmured, still wanting to go back to sleep.

"You must wake up, Eveleen. You must prepare yourself."

"Prepare?" I echoed, now dragging myself away from the brink of sleep. She removed her hand as she saw that I had awoken sufficiently and continued.

"Come, get dressed." With a wave of her hand she produced another set of clothes, these vastly different from the dining gown I had worn before.

This reminded me of a kilt more so than anything else but with a royal twist that I seemed to always have to wear. The skirt was silk and pleated to mid thigh - in Gaia's colors, of course – with an emerald studded belt that accentuated my relatively narrow waist. The top was a corset of sorts, though it looked to be without the pain and agony of true binding, and stopped just above my chest.

I realized quickly that this new attire was meant for maneuverability and flexibility, while still maintaining an air of femininity and regality. A basic femme fatal weapon against one and all, but still, it was actually very appealing to me in both a warrior's and woman's sense. I had no complaints as I quickly disrobed and pulled it on, marveling at the fact there was hidden leather underneath the silk.

"I cannot send my attendant defenseless to train," Gaia replied as she saw my surprise. "The leather is made by Hephaestus himself. It will not shatter or break and will protect you against any wayward blade." As I went to attempt to tie the laces in the back, Gaia simply waved her hand and I could feel the corset pulling tight enough to keep everything safe and secure.

"Why am I going to train with Achilles?" I asked her. Gaia startled me by handing me my beloved whip and sword, and I just gaped at her. "Where is Kerys?"

"She is speaking with both Zeus and Oberon about your visitation rights." I blinked owlishly at her and she continued as I slid my weapons into sheaths that she procured for me. "You are of Olympus now, Eveleen. You are watched closely and cannot go gallivanting to play with your Fae brethren. Technically they should cut all ties with you."

"Why?" I asked, shocked. Had my decision really alienated me from my lifelong friends? I hadn't even thought of the repercussions of joining Olympus in these terms. I had always thought all gods and goddesses were in a sort of truce.

"No mortal has been welcomed into two pantheons before, Eveleen. It is a delicate matter to who is your true master and claims your ultimate loyalty."

"You do, Gaia," I answered. She smiled at me and smoothed the hair on my head once before leading me toward the door.

"I appreciate your honesty and loyalty," she replied. "But what if we ever declared war on the Fae? Who would help? What if the sway of the tide depended on you? Who would you choose to help?" This actually made any argument disappear. She did have a valid point. Who would I choose? Would I choose the Fae, who raised me as one of their pet mortals? Or would I choose Gaia, who took me under her wing to help the world? Gaia had treated me as well or even better than the Fae had, so who was I to turn my back on her? But if not for the Fae, I would have never met my lifelong friend Kerys or known a pantheon. Perhaps I would have turned down Gaia out of fear. Who was I to choose between the two?

"I understand," I said quietly. Gaia quickly placed a hand on my back as we continued down the hall, never paying attention to the various mortals who moved out of her way.

"This is why Kerys has been in constant meetings with Zeus. She is trying to alleviate this burden from you so you will not have to choose. I understand that you miss your friend, but don't fret. This compromise shouldn't be argued for much longer." I silently thanked my Fae friend, because I honestly hadn't known that she was truly fighting for my sake and not the Fae's. "Now, Eveleen." I perked my head up at the change of tone in her voice. "You will train with Achilles and Ajax for the first part of the day. Then they will turn you over to me. Understood?"

"Honestly…not really. I thought I was supposed to train and understand my god powers."

"In time, Eveleen. You will understand when you meet with Achilles." I was still lost on why it was important that I actually train with the warrior, but I wasn't dumb enough to complain either. I would probably never turn down a training session with the great Achilles and if I did, it would be when Hades overthrew Zeus.

So as we walked through the halls, I realized that most eyes were drawn to me, then my necklace, and lastly lowered in deference. They moved to the walls to allow us to walk past them and it was slightly unnerving. I was used to threading my way through people, not being allowed past them easily and with respect.

Finally, the color changed to one I was beginning to dread and hope to see at the same time: the blood red of Ares, Achilles, and my newly claimed acquaintance Ajax. The former I would probably never be happy to truly see. The last two I would love to make my true friends, even if I had known them for a mere two days.

"Here, Eveleen, I will leave you in the capable hands of Achilles. By the time you come back to me, you will understand why you went to this place today."

"Why all the secrecy?" I asked her. "Is it something bad?" Basically, was I going to dread the outcome. I had no idea why Gaia was deliberately being vague, but I knew it couldn't be good.

"No, Eveleen. Nothing bad. Consider it more of a gift than a bad circumstance."

With that, the door opened and I automatically walked in, immediately spotting Achilles and Ajax in the corner of the room. They were obviously in a light conversation, seeing as Achilles was leaning against the weapon racks and Ajax was grinning. The door shut behind me and it was then that I saw Ares. He was sitting on a silver dais and a plush chair, giving the illusion of a throne, though it was anything but. Like I expected, he was clothed normally in the delicious V-necked shirt that showed his chest and abs.

However, something was different today. An Irishwoman – I would know my own race on sight – was sitting to Ares's right, her eyes bored and detached as she scanned me. She sat as if she belonged on Ares's right hand side, and there was a sense of power and competence surrounding her. She was a true warrior and I knew that on first sight.

I felt on immediate defense between the two of them, especially with the disinterest in Ares's eyes. It was only yesterday I saw the intensity in his eyes and only yesterday I had wished he was mortal. Today, I did not. The way he sat and the very air around him screamed that he was vastly superior and you were nothing. There was none of the intensity he had shown, nothing to even link him to mortality. Today he was a pure god and I would do well to remember it.

"Eveleen." I broke the gaze with Ares and the nameless woman and smiled as I saw Achilles walking over to me, Ajax on his left. Even the huge bear of a warrior had a small smile for me and for that I was grateful. Most men would never forgive a woman to defeat them in battle, no matter if it was a fluke. Ajax seemed to almost relish the fact that I had and it was indeed odd yet refreshing.

"Achilles. I was told to come here?" The last ended as a statement and a question, and Achilles nodded.

"Indeed. We have a few things to discuss." With that Ajax held up a spear, and my own sword was in my hand and drawn before conscious thought seeped in. Achilles nodded at my reaction. "Go." Ajax thrust at me and I parried, a bit more at ease with fighting against a spear. Between the two of us, we attacked and defended, and I understood immediately this wasn't an actual mock fight, perhaps a mere warm up. This was something else, or Ajax would have made things a bit more difficult for me.

"If Gaia has not shown you, you have god powers," Achilles began, walking around the two of us while we fought. The fight was slow enough to where I could hear Achilles and still be able to continue with the exercise. "These powers can be used to help your own god. For us, our true powers lie in battle."

A red haze appeared around Ajax and he shredded my measly defense and thrust for my middle. I ducked, the spear catching my cheek, and put everything I had been holding back into my attack. I barely kept up with the warrior, who wasn't using all of what he could have, and I understood. This was Ares's god power. This was what made them the true warriors. As I blocked, dodged, and parried, I realized how beautiful combat truly was, and what my ancestors had seen in their daily lives filled with battle. If I had served Ares, I would not have traded it for anything…perhaps even to serve Gaia.

"For you, yours will be of the earth. This does not mean you cannot use your powers like us, but your true talent will lie in Gaia's domain. You will be able to fight and protect using the earth."

Below my left foot a tile dislodged and burst a foot out of the ground, throwing me off balance. Ajax was not one to miss opportunity and he thrust into the center of my chest with all the force he could muster. I saw nothing but bloodlust in his eyes and realized that this wasn't my friend; he saw me as a true enemy and one to be defeated and killed. This must be the drawback of their god power, but it wasn't much of a drawback as far as a warrior was concerned. The shock of such a blow threw me back and onto the ground, gasping for air that wouldn't breathe into my lungs. I gasped for air and my vision narrowed as time slowed; I was going into a true situation where I would have to fight for my life.

And as my vision tunneled, I felt the pulsing beneath my fingertips, as if my powers were begging to be released within me. My chest didn't seem to be loosening up anytime soon, and I knew that I was still in battle, so I did what I had to. I clumsily used my god powers. I placed a hand on my chest and concentrated on the wound, not really understanding how to use them. However, the powers seemed to have a mind of their own. The finesse I had felt Gaia use on my leg was not there, but the tendrils of heat were. They spun and whirled within my chest and I could feel the exhaustion of using my powers creeping in. However, I breathed once, a long drawn out breath that stunned me enough to stop using my powers.

I immediately sat up and blinked a few times, registering that Ajax was still coming at me, walking at me intently and with a sole purpose: to kill me. The red haze around him only seemed to be thicker and I knew that I would still have to fight. I got to my feet, still panting for breath, and brought out my whip. If this was going to be a real fight I would not go down like a pansy. I would fight until I could not move.

"Enough, Ajax." The red haze disappeared and I saw conscious thought seep into his eyes. He blinked once and I could see the flicker of regret before it disappeared into an emotionless mask. It was enough of an apology that I overlooked his lapse in his god powers. "We can use other powers. But ours is for battle. However, we all have the same problem in strengthening our god powers." No longer trusting Achilles or Ajax, I left out my weapons as I tried to recover from the blow. "Our god powers are solely dependent on our physical strength. You can strengthen your god powers with usage, but you will only have a certain amount you can wield before you cannot use anymore. By strengthening your body, you will higher the tolerance and limit you can reach."

"So that's why Gaia wants me to train with you," I realized.

"Yes. You already have a higher tolerance than most mortals. Most would not be able to wield their god powers, however subconsciously, on the first week of their arrival. And none have actually stayed conscious if they managed to wield them."

"I didn't heal myself all of the way," I admitted. But I would not say it was because I lost control. "That's why."

"Doesn't matter," Ajax answered instead of Achilles. "Any usage of god powers will drain you for more than you should be able to handle at the moment. Gaia knows you are special and perhaps this is why she is allowing you away from her side so early in your training."

"Eveleen." I turned to the strangely serious Achilles, noting this was definitely the most sobering I had ever seen him. "This will not be easy. You will go your room tired and exhausted. The next day I will not go easy on you. Nor will I the next day or the days after. Every day you will train with me, no matter the circumstance or cause. After that you will go to Gaia. Only then will you be allowed to do anything else."

"I understand." My whip and sword lowered as the reality of what I was going to be going through sunk in, leaving me with dread and a hint of excitement.

"There will be no special treatment because you are a woman," Achilles continued.

"I wouldn't expect that and I would kick your ass if you did." A ghost of a smirk crossed his face and left as quickly as it had appeared.

"Then consider yourself my soldier and trainee. Ajax will also be training you, so you will treat him with respect at all times." I could hear the change of tone in his voice and realized that already he had swapped from me being a mortal to play with to one of his soldiers. Instinctively I straightened and hung onto his every word. "Every morning Gaia will bring you here. She will pick you up when we are done." I went to ask why, but thought better of interrupting my new commander. "If she did not, everyone would assume that you are coming here to fuck one of us." Oh my.

"I see," I mused. I guess it would be considered that since I really didn't see anyone out of their colored areas. Maybe only one or two were ever in another wing, and it did make sense in a sort of way. "Will I be actually training today?"

"Yes. But first, I want you to heal yourself. Call on your Fae." I blinked at the command. How did he know that the Fae healed me? "Now." I jolted at the command and closed my eyes, calling on Bruadar once again, but this time it was different. Instead of my voice wavering and whispering to him, I heard my call strong and clear. The portal opened beside me even before I finished calling for him, and my Fae friend stepped out. He assessed the situation quickly and turned to me.

"Eveleen," he greeted. "What do you wish of me?" Surprised at the lack of flirting and actually hearing my true name, I eyed the strangely sober Fae, but truly saw nothing amiss.

"I…need you to heal me. I would but my powers are low."

"Of course, Eveleen." He lifted a hand and simply placed it to my chest. I was truly unnerved by this point. What the hell was wrong with him? He always made me laugh and blush; it was a true Bruadar trait.

"_Beauty,_" I heard the voice in my head easily and realized that now he was speaking to me through my mind. I had always thought I was the only one to speak to them this way, but I realized that my belief was just ludicrous. I mean, if I could do it as a mortal, they surely could as gods. "_I cannot speak freely, so I will be brief. I have been commanded to act as your servant on your stay in Olympus. I am to act with dignity at all times to shed light on our Fae behavior."_

"_But the Fae are always mischievous and playful,"_ I whispered back to him. Around us, no one seemed the wiser to our inner conversation, and I hoped they wouldn't.

"_With this truce, I will be at your beck and call, beauty. Do not worry so much about me. I am fine and you will always be my beauty."_ I could feel the heat closing up the wound and the broken bones that I had suffered from, and I could feel myself breathing easier already.

"_So I am allowed to truly call you now?"_

"_Yes. I am given access to a few of your thoughts as well. I am a Kerys, but a Fae as well. This was Oberon's command to Zeus."_

"_And Zeus's?"_

"_That Kerys stay with him. He cannot allow a Faerie to roam his halls and report directly back to Oberon. She will be under close watch until the negotiations are truly finished."_

"_Is she all right?"_ The healing was almost done; I could feel it.

"_Yes. She does this for you, my beauty."_

"_I know. I'm grateful to her, Bru."_ The healing finally complete, Bruadar walked back to the portal, his demeanor still subdued and serious.

"Call if you need me, beauty." Underneath, I could hear his true parting. "_My beauty, call for a champion._"

"I will, Bruadar," I replied.

"Goodbye." A pause as he walked through the portal, then, "_That skirt makes you look sexy, beauty. You should wear it often so I can fantasize."_ Now that was my Bruadar and it made me softly smile before remembering my audience.

"I'm ready to train," I said, turning back to Ajax and Achilles.

"Good," Achilles stated, a wolfish smile on his face. "Go." And with that command, Ajax gladly leapt into battle with me.

* * *

When I was through, I realized that Achilles was the most magnificent instructor ever known. I was kneeling on the floor, panting through exertion, but I was not truly tired. I was sore, but I could still move. I still had enough energy to go to Gaia and probably enough to do at least one healing before I was truly exhausted.

I looked up at my new commander, who was watching me with a hint of pride hidden under a serious façade, and to a grinning Ajax. I still held my sword and whip in both hands and waited to see what they would do next.

"You've survived the first training session," Achilles announced. "Rest until Gaia arrives." With that he walked away towards Ares and strangely the Irish woman stood and walked over to me, a defiant hand on one narrow hip. She eyed me and immediately I felt on the defensive again, so I slowly stood and regulated my breathing to cover up my exhaustion. I met her stare equally as I drew up to my full height. I would not be intimidated by her.

"Humph. You should have served Ares." I blinked at the unexpected turn of events. Wasn't she coming over to patronize me?

"What?" I echoed. The haughtiness and defiant pride drained out of me, leaving me only confused and wary of her.

"You could have been magnificent as a warrior. Why serve Gaia?" Now I saw under her near emotionless face a sort of curiosity as one would an ant or a different type of bug. I was nothing to scoff at, sure, but I knew I had potential when it came to fighting.

"Ares wouldn't have me and she found me first," I replied back. A smirk crossed her face – did all of Ares's attendants have to do it so perfectly? – then disappeared a few seconds later.

"Debatable. I like your fighting style with the whip. I would have thought it would hinder your fighting but instead you seem to have adapted a curious sort of attack and defense." She eyed the whip in question as she continued. "I would have overlooked you if not for your whip, attendant. But you make it work and in you I see potential. Don't waste it mortal."

"Grace." We both looked over to Ares, who still sat bored on his throne. He didn't elaborate on the patronizing way he said her name, but she seemed to understand. And as the woman turned back to me, my jaw dropped.

"Gráinne Ní Mháille," I breathed. "Grace O' Malley. It's an honor." This woman was a famous pirate in Irish history, outshining her first husband and running the shipping business. With the reins, it evolved into true piracy against the English, who sought to bring her to heel. She fought them until her dying breath and for that, she was remembered throughout time.

I lapsed into my native _Gaeilge_ to speak with her. It had been too long since I could speak _Gaeilge_ with anyone and I did long to hear it again. "_I can't believe I actually get to meet you_."

"_I am still remembered. It is a good thing_," she replied in _Gaeilge_. "Keep _his interest, attendant_." I blinked; the only emotion I showed about the twist in conversation. I knew to keep this conversation looking as normal as possible, and I could feel Ares's eyes on me. "_You are the first to keep it for this long and not be serving him_."

"_I don't hold any interest in him. Just another toy to play with_."

"_You are wrong, attendant. You belong to Gaia. Yet he cannot forget you as easily as he would like. You proved yourself competent when you arrived. In time you will prove yourself a warrior. When that day comes, I would be honored to fight by your side._" She held out her right harm and I clasped her forearm in a classic gesture.

"_And carry on the Irish name_," I agreed. We shook on it and I felt a spark of kinship with this famous woman.

"What do you speak of?" Ajax queried, his head cocked to the side in an adorable sort of gesture that made me smile softly. Though if the warrior ever heard me call him adorable, I would probably be challenged to a fight and annihilated.

"Our home," I answered. "It has been too long since I've heard my native language."

"Aye," Grace agreed. "Too long since an Irishwoman has arrived in Olympus."

"Say something else," Ajax demanded. And with a broad smile, I did.

"_You look adorable when you cock your head to the side._" Grace couldn't help it; she threw back her head and laughed. There was nothing really adorable about the huge bear of a warrior. He carried a rugged sense of masculinity and his features were chiseled and hardened from war. His demeanor itself was imposing and could scare any mortal witless if they did not know him, and the fact that I had only seen him in his Greek armor made me truly think he would never try to woo a modern day woman. They would be too terrified.

"What did she say?" Ajax asked as he saw the twin grins on Grace and I's faces. Again, he cocked his head the side, though not as far, but it was enough to send us both laughing once again. "Seriously! What did she say?"

Beside me, Grace looked toward Ares, the grin still in place, and was silent for all of a minute before she began chuckling again. I wondered why until Ares stood in his chair and walked over to Achilles, sparing a scathing look in my direction. Damn. Grace had told him what I had said.

"_You told Ares, didn't you_?" I asked her once again in _Gaeilge_.

"_Aye. How did you know_?"

"_He's glaring at me again. And I know what comes after him glaring. He'll start an insult session._"

"_You know my master_," Grace replied glibly. "_Look lively, here he comes._"

I looked away from Grace to see Achilles and Ares walking towards us and I mentally sighed. This was just going to be stressful and I didn't want to be patronized for merely teasing Ajax. I could see the way Ares moved that he was just coming to screw with me and I knew that I just didn't want to take it today. I had a good training session, I met a legend among my people, and I had performed to the lofty Achilles' expectations. It was a good day and I wasn't going to let it be ruined.

"Eveleen, Gaia will be arriving soon," Achilles stated as they stopped by Ajax. "Stop harassing Ajax."

"Seriously, what did she say?" I couldn't help but to grin at the warrior once again, because I did in fact find it adorable, and the way he was demanding that I tell him was getting to be cute. Bless me, but if he ever knew what I thought of him, I was a dead woman walking.

"She said you were a good warrior," Grace replied.

"Quiet wench." Grace didn't take offense; she just chuckled.

"Mortal, don't ever say that about my warriors again." I couldn't help it. The way he told me and what he was demanding me do pissed me off. My hackles raised, I glared at the god, not intimidated in the least. I was almost positive he could truly do nothing to me, because Gaia would come after him for it, and I was sure he couldn't physically harm me. "Or Achilles will not train you ever again." I saw Achilles cut his eyes to the god and I knew that even if Ares forbid it, I would still be taught. Instead of forcing Achilles to do this behind Ares' back, I bit my lip on my pride and forced it down.

"I will not say it again," I stated, the look in my eyes contradicting what I was saying. Ares knew exactly what I was about, going by the ghost of a smirk on his face. He knew I was lying straight to his face, but I guess he decided to not push it because he turned away from me.

"Go to Gaia. She awaits outside of the door." I turned and walked away, feeling as if there was something I was missing. However, I could think of nothing.

As I walked outside, I saw Gaia indeed waiting for me, and I smiled at her.

"It was fun," I stated. "Thank you for taking me."

"I thought you might enjoy it. Now for your god training." She snapped her fingers and I felt a slight tingling sensation, even as my vision wavered for a moment. I shook my head and blinked, then gaped at the surroundings. We were in Ireland, looking above my farm from a distant hill.

"What are we doing here?"

"I thought you might want to see how your family is doing." I could see them outside, working away with a few other people that I didn't recognize. However, the crops were still strong and healthy, which meant they could afford to hire more people and probably still make enough to make sure my brother was educated properly.

"They seem to be doing well. May I see them?"

"Not just yet, Eveleen. You are still of the astral plane. They will not be able to see or hear you until you complete your training. When you do, you will know how to swap planes at will and then you may see your family." I nodded, understanding the situation. I couldn't see Gaia the first time I had met her, and I was sure my family wouldn't be able to see me either. "Now for the second thing. We are here to being your training of the earth. I know you can access your god powers by yourself. I felt the moment you used them with Ares."

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I know I wasn't supposed to-"

"You misunderstand, Eveleen. You used them appropriately and only enough to cure your immediate wounds."

"I might have used more," I admitted to Gaia. "I wasn't going to stop just there."

"But you would have stopped. You knew and accepted your limits. You did not try to use your god powers to battle. That is what I meant by discipline."

"I honestly didn't know how I could have."

"And I will teach you," she replied. "Now, put your hand on the earth." I did as she bade. "Every strand of life is interconnected. The trees, the grass, the crops, and the life inside of the earth. Everything is connected." I felt something, but it was so woven in each other I couldn't distinguish anything as it should have been. But I could feel where the millions of weaves came to rest.

"You connect them," I marvel.

"Yes. And soon you will too. Your training will be to distinguish these strands and find out which of them is the most stressed, thinned, or broken. You will learn to heal them without affecting any other strands. Too much healing will kill surrounding things. Too little and it will die. You will find the medium. You will learn to call on the earth and everything in it to your advantage. You will learn how to manipulate the earth without destroying anything in it. You will learn to be a conduit and how to channel your energy. Understand?"

"Aye. I'm ready."

"Good. Close your eyes and sink your fingers into the earth." I did as she commanded. "Feel the tendrils again. Feel them swirling around your fingers. Touch them. Move them." As she spoke, I felt the strands beneath me, each leading to Gaia. However, the more difficult was to touch and move them. Every time I reached for them, they seemed to move away from me. I reached and reached with my fingers, but I couldn't touch them.

"I can't," I admitted. "They keep moving away."

"That's because you're not reaching far enough," Gaia answered, and I heard the smile in her voice. I felt a well of frustration, but I didn't give up. Not yet.

Again I reached for them with my fingers and yet again they moved away from me. What was I doing wrong? I was reaching for them, wasn't I? I was trying to touch them like she had said. But…wait. Wasn't I supposed to be training with my powers? What if…

Instead of reaching for them merely with my fingers, I let my powers flow into the earth. The tendrils went from my hand and spread into the earth into all different directions, and I knew I was doing it horribly. But the second the tendrils touched the strands in the earth, they seemed to leap in response. Now, through my closed eyes, I saw a bright white in front of me. Instead of only feeling the mass of strands beneath me, I opened my eyes and saw a million of bright strands, each glowing with the purest white. I gasped, both at the beauty and the fact that I actually managed to see them, but then they were gone and I was left with the green field right in front of me.

"What was…that? I saw them!"

"I know," Gaia said with a smile. "That is the first part of the strands. To see them means you have hope to touch them. Practice again, Eveleen." I nodded and closed my eyes, reaching out with my power to see the beautiful strands once again.

* * *

I found myself in my room later, exhausted but feeling oddly refreshed. I was never able to touch the strands, but if I focused hard enough, I could see them. It was enough that I would call it successful, even though I had far to go before I was ready to help Gaia. However, I was learning, and she was a good and understanding teacher. She was always ready with a smile and encouraging words to help me through my frustrations, and I was thankful for that.

And I was looking forward to my physical training tomorrow. I truly wanted to please Achilles and even Ajax, and I did actually want to become a true warrior. Sure, I might not participate with Ares or his attendants, or I may never actually see real battle. But it was enough to know that I could take care of myself if the situation arises, and the knowledge that I could handle my own against any normal attendant. A sort of confidence booster, if you will.

Then again, I did enjoy what Gaia offered me as well. I wanted to heal and wanted to protect, which was what the earth offered. Sure, I only had one lesson, but if I was able to heal and help others who had problems with the earth, and perhaps keep them alive and fed because I did so, that was enough for me. They never had to know it was me who blessed their earth. I would do it because I would smile at the fact they were surviving and prosperous.

Again I turned in my bed, thoughts whirling inside. I was never going to be able to sleep like this. I sat up and ran a hand through my hair, frustrated at my inability to sleep. I needed it to be able to survive tomorrow, and I was too excited about the possibilities of the next day that I couldn't sleep. I grabbed a robe and went out to the central room, wanting to hear the fountain of water and calm down. As I exited my room, I saw Gaia with a man clothed in emerald green, and my eyes widened. This was another attendant!

Almost as soon as I had seen them, Gaia turned with a soft smile, and the man beside her turned. He was elderly, probably in his sixties or so, but he seemed gentle and kind. Perhaps it was his eyes, but I knew immediately that he would be someone to call friend.

"Hello Eveleen. Gaia has told me much about you. I am Giles." British as well, if his accent didn't lie.

"Hello," I echoed back. "Nice to meet you, Giles." Gaia stood and came over, covering my hands with her own.

"Can you not sleep, Eveleen?" I shook my head.

"Then I will put you to sleep. You will truly meet Giles tomorrow, but for now, you must rest. You had a tough day today." I mutely allowed her to pull me back into my room. I lay down on the bed and she covered me, making me wish for my mother. She smiled gently, as if she knew what I longed for, and kissed my forehead. "Sleep, Eveleen. And dream." I could feel my conscious drifting and smiled gratefully to Gaia.

* * *

I opened my eyes, disconcerted by the fact I was no longer in my room. I was in Ares' fighting room, where I had trained at earlier today, and I was on the ground. I got up and brushed off myself, quickly noting I was once again clothed in the same clothes I had worn earlier today. Looking around, I spotted only Ares, and he was sitting on his throne, watching me with no expression on his face.

"What am I doing here?" I asked. "I'm dreaming, aren't I?" No answer from Ares, so I ignored him and looked around. Everything was the same except there was no door where it should have been. "I'm dreaming," I murmured. "How the hell do I wake up?"

"Do you really want to leave?" I whirled to look at Ares, who spoke up.

"Aye," I answered.

"Then why did you dream of this place?" he questioned, never changing expressions or even moving.

"I don't know. I wanted to dream of my mother." Again I looked for a way out and saw none, so I pinched myself to wake up. It hurt, but nothing happened. Damn.

"Why did you dream of me?" he asked again, the tone of his voice never changing.

"You can't be Ares or you would have insulted me by now," I griped back, irritated with myself and my odd dreams. Sure, I had odd ones before, but it was stupid things like running from zombies or even having a pudding war with friends. I mean random dreams to be sure, but this one just seemed odd and surreal, almost as if I was there. None of my dreams before had ever compared.

"And what if I am?"

"I would be mortified that I even dreamed of you." Realizing there was no way out, I finally turned fully to the god and began to walk over to him. "Why are you in my dream, then, oh god of war?"

"Because you wanted me to be," he replied easily, smoothly.

"Odd, but I don't want you to be."

"Your subconscious begs to differ." Only now did he raise his head off of the hand he used to prop it with and sit naturally as I came only feet away from the chair he occupied. "Or you won't admit that you wanted me here."

"I honestly can't imagine why you would be in my dream. Perhaps I wanted to fight you. I can manipulate dreams, so perhaps I thought I would have a chance with you." I was starting to get into this philosophical banter with dream Ares, because not only was he being engaging not insulting, I was enjoying having to think and debate with him.

"Perhaps," he allowed.

"Maybe it was because I had seen you today and was angry over you telling me what to do."

"Not likely." He stretched out a foot to get more comfortable and I continued to think.

"Maybe because I wanted you to teach me as well."

"Teach you about what?" he questioned. I could tell he was slightly amused as well, this Ares of my dreams, because a microscopic smile appeared on his face.

"War. How to fight. How to act. Anything I should know."

"Maybe." I walked up to him closer, boldly, because this was my dream and I could do as I wished. I picked up the medallion he wore across his neck and looked at the spear depicted across the shield.

"Perhaps I wanted to dream of you because I wanted to serve you," I said absently, still inspecting the symbol. "I wouldn't mind being a warrior."

"In time you might be called one," he replied, not perturbed in the least about my closeness to him. "Only if you trained every day with my warriors and learned. You survived the first day mortal, but who is to say you wouldn't quit later?" I looked up from the amulet with a small glare.

"Now you sound like the real Ares," I grumbled. "So unnecessarily mean. You're a figment of my imagination, you know that. You should know that I would never quit once I really choose to do something."

"How do you know I'm not the real Ares?" he asked. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Because the real Ares wouldn't have allowed me to be this close to him. Because the real Ares wouldn't actually talk to me like you are. And because you're not acting like an egotistical asshole. Trust me. You're not the real Ares."

"True, mortal. I wouldn't normally allow you this close to me."

"I know, I know. You find the reward isn't worth the effort." Now he smirked.

"Clever. But no. You are a mere attendant who is not even able to control her god powers yet. How could a god like me associate with someone like you?"

"So you're saying that you would allow me to be close to you if I trained hard enough?" I smiled at the dream Ares and pushing my luck; I dropped his amulet and dropped down to sit on his leg. "The great Ares entertaining the thought of being friends with a mortal? How positively daring." He eyed me but made no move to push me off. Odd but intriguing, this dream Ares of mine.

"Not a friend, mortal. What if I meant to take you as a lover?" To this I just laughed, and dream Ares glared, perturbed at my amusement. "I assure you, it is not a laughing matter. Perhaps your human lovers were something to laugh about, but not me. I am a god. You will never want another man after you have become my lover."

"I'm sure you outperform anyone and everyone," I said, still grinning. "But you just gave yourself away, dream Ares. The real one would never want to even entertain of the thought of becoming my lover. And for the five thousandth time, I don't have lovers. I had one. Only once. So please stop alluding that I have lovers."

"Why?" he asked simply.

"Why what?" Making myself more comfortable, I snuggled into the dream Ares' shoulder and threw my legs over the armrest. He made no move to touch me so I let myself relax into him.

"Why only one lover?" I quirked an eyebrow at this. How did we get on a discussion of my sex life? But whatever, this was just a dream anyway.

"He was the only one I found intriguing enough," I answered honestly.

"What, not because of his beauty? You lie, mortal."

"He was pretty enough, sure, but beauty only has a certain appeal for a little time. A mystery will keep you intrigued for longer." Dream Ares fell silent and I eyed the ceiling, wish I could almost see the sky.

"You wish to go elsewhere, mortal?" he asked.

"You can read my thoughts?" I questioned. To this he merely smirked and waved his hand, changing the scenery around us. We were taken to a green plain looking towards a giant waterfall, with exotic flowers flowing all around us. I could even smell their light fragrance, and if I wasn't convinced that this was a dream, I would be amazed at the place he made for me. "Beautiful."

I shifted and realized we were no longer in his chair, but propped against a hill he made specifically for us, letting him lean against it and me to lean on his shoulder. I shifted my body to sit in between his legs and he allowed the action, but never touched me. I was getting used to this, so it didn't really bother me. I was just enjoying the companionship, human to god.

"It is a mortal place of beauty," he allowed. "Why have you not wished to leave?"

"I'm enjoying bantering with you, dream Ares. You're intriguing and I like it."

"So you entertain the thought of me as your lover?" I snorted; he was just too stuck on sex. What a drastic change from the real Ares.

"No. I wouldn't be able to, much of a mystery that you are. Firstly, you're not real. Secondly, you're Ares. You hate me in real life. Imagine if I started to have sex with you in my dreams and saw you hate me in real life. I would go crazy with all the mixed signals." I laughed again. "Plus the real Ares would kill me if I even thought about kissing him."

"And have you?" dream Ares asked.

"Not really. He's aesthetically pleasing, sure, but it'll never happen. Why wish for something that will never be real when there are other attendants within my reach?"

"Because mortals always want for the thing they cannot have," he answered, and I was taken aback by how true the statement was.

"True enough, dream Ares. I'll admit I find your counterpart intriguing, but I haven't entertained any sexual thoughts about him. Clear that up for you?"

"Enough, I suppose. And what of me? Do you find me intriguing enough to take me as your lover? You've made yourself comfortable enough." I giggled at that; dream Ares was probably telling me to get off of him.

"If you wanted me off of you, you could have said so."

"I didn't say that mortal," he replied as I leaned up. He still did not touch me, but his words were enough to stop me. I laid back down on him as he continued. "I said that you feel comfortable with me for some odd reason. So what about taking me for a lover?"

Looking up into dream Ares' face, I saw him somber enough that I considered the question. He was nice and clever enough to banter with me and keep me intrigued and coming back for more. Definitely beautiful, with his catlike green eyes, black shaggy hair, and chiseled facial features. I was sure he could perform better than the one mortal I had before.

"Perhaps," I allowed. "You would make a good lover if you were real."

"If you wish it, I could be real." I stuck my tongue out at him.

"More slip ups, dream Ares."

"What if I do them on purpose?" he questioned with a smirk. I smiled back at him, knowing he did that to challenge me.

"To make me question myself." However, I could feel myself drifting, and I knew that I was waking up. "Love to spend more time with you, dream Ares, but I'm waking up."

"I know," he stated simply.

"I hope I dream of you again. I enjoyed it."

"It was passable," he allowed. "And you will dream of me again."

"And why is that?" I asked, my eyes falling closed and my consciousness drifting.

"Because you're intrigued enough to not stay away." And with that, I felt the world around me dissolve and a soft hand on my cheek, waking me into the real world. My eyes fluttered open, and immediately I knew the dream Ares was right. I would miss him today. Damn the little bugger.


	6. Dreams Revealed

When I awoke, it was to a slight pop. Something had drug my conscious towards awareness, and the sound was enough to wake me. I rose, the blanket pooling away from my bare shoulders, then sleepily looked around the room. My warrior's uniform hung suspended in the air yet Gaia was nowhere in sight. Odd, that. I was used to waking to her, almost seeing her as my mother coming to wake me. I was a bit disappointed, but easily pushed it aside and dressed quickly. I had no idea what time it was and I had no wish to be late for my warrior training.

Tightening the last few cinches on my armor, I walked out of my room and into the main room. Still no Gaia, instead, the man I had met last night.

"Hello, Mr. Giles," I murmured, slightly discomforted, but not overly so. Something about him was calming and soothing; his calm eyes easily put me at ease. He nodded, an old world gesture that made me wonder how old this man truly was.

"Good morning, Eveleen. Please, call me Giles."

"Giles, then," I agreed. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise, my dear. If you will follow me? I am to escort you to your warrior trainer." Easily I fell into step with him, comfortable, but not completely relaxed. "It has been long centuries since Gaia has taken a personal attendant. I can sense something special in you, my dear. Gaia chose well."

"Thank you," I murmured, blushing underneath the kind gaze and gracious words of praise. I didn't expect this easy acceptance, nor was I going to take it for granted. "You seem different from the others I've seen," I commented as we made our way down the hall. The crowds of people parted for us, but this time, there was no regal nodding in our direction. Apparently it was reserved solely for Gaia or another god or goddess.

"I am," he agreed. "I have chosen to act with dignity and decorum as befitting my station. If I have an affair or flirtation, rest assured I will do so in private." My cheeks flamed hotter as I cut my gaze to him.

"You saw that night?" I questioned, and he nodded.

"You did right leaving the way you did, my dear. It was a disgusting display of the avarice of this place, especially for your first encounter with our feast halls. I would have hoped that a better impression could have been made, but it was an honest one at the least."

"Aye," I agreed. "I wish I hadn't seen that, but I'm sure I would see it sometime or another. At least this way I will begin to get used to it."

"It is not all gluttony and lust," he stated calmly as we entered the blood red corridors of Ares. "Mortals here do sometimes thirst for knowledge to better themselves. There is a vast library near Athena's hall, which I do enjoy occupying. Perhaps I could take you after your training?" I'll admit, I wasn't one for reading books and retaining information, but I would still like the tour. I had yet to visit any of the other gods' territories and I eventually needed to do so.

"I would like that," I finally agreed. "I won't say I'll read much but I'll enjoy it all the same."

"I value your honesty, my dear." As we walked we kept silence, but it seemed comfortable enough not to break it. I would be the first to admit I was awkward around the first meeting and it would be a while yet before I was willing to open up to him.

Finally we arrived at the door, which Giles opened with a gentlemanly flourish that made me grin.

"Until later, my dear." With that he closed the door behind me and left me alone. I looked around the room, surprised to find only Grace inside. She was in the middle of the room, looking down into a sort of stone pillar. It was merely just a straight rock formation with a bowl made of marble sitting on top, but Grace was looking into it wistfully.

"You're early," she stated, not even looking up from the marble bowl.

"What the devil are you doing?" I asked, strangely concerned.

"You'll learn this later," she replied with a dismissive gesture of her hand. "Personal attendant magic and all of that. Come here and tell me what you think of him." Now deeply disturbed, I moved over to the bowl, wondering why she had called it a he. I peered inside and noted it was filled with crystal clear water. Before I could comment that she was innately daft, the water shimmered and showed a sort of moving picture. Like a movie on…water.

"How in the world?"

"This is our portal to peer into the mortal realm. Of course, I watch Ireland most of all. This man Dubhán has fallen in love with a woman." My feminism peaked by the story of a good romance, I leaned over and peered into the bowl to take a closer look at Dubhán. "Her parents have forbidden him to ever see his love again." The man was fighting off four men easily, each hooded in black so he could not see their face.

"Why?" I asked, watching intently as the man fought down his would be attackers.

"They say he is not worthy. They believe in nothing but her marriage to a farmhand or owner; not of a man who works in the city."

"What does he do?" I asked, the man mowing down each person in his path, his fighting a beautiful and graceful art. He must have been trained fairly well for him to be this good.

"Does it matter?" she asked. "For as long as I have been watching him, he has been training in the Gaelic ways to impress her parents. Even though he is Irish, because he was born in the city, they consider him an outsider."

"That's not an outsider," I muttered, immediately on edge of the faceless parents.

"They truly love their daughter, but are against her marrying a sinfully handsome man, if it boils right down to it. I've seen them and heard their feelings on the matter. What they tell the daughter is they want her to marry a farmhand. What they truly feel is that he is after their daughter's beauty and that he will take advantage of her."

"So they're trying to protect her?"

"Yes," Grace replied, her eyes misty. "A tragic and beautiful tale of love."

"Why is he fighting?"

"Robbers," she replied easily. "Who have guns. This man doesn't even need a gun. He's destroying them all with his fists and without a scratch." I watched the handsome man as he fought, sensing his lethal aura and drawn in by his feral glare as he protected himself.

"I think I might help him." Grace stated casually.

"Help?" I asked, alarmed. "Are we allowed to do it?"

"As long as it doesn't alter the course of history to a dangerous extent, our visitations are allowed. If they weren't, you wouldn't be here now." Still she watched Dubhán as he ruthlessly fought the robbers and I smiled as they finally decided it wasn't worth it and ran. "Come. Let us pay a visit to our dear old country."

"But they can't see me."

"Ah, they will be able to see you. I can take you to the mortal plane, and all you have to do is to pretend to be god."

"Which one?" I shot back, slightly aggravated with this charade.

"Oh, just pick one. Spoilsport." With that, she waved her hands and transported us away from the training room.

As everything blurred into existence, I saw that we were outside of a pretty decent looking farmland. I could see work being done in the fields and everything seemed in pretty decent shape. This meant…

"This is their farm, isn't it?"

"Aye," she replied merrily.

"You seem to be having fun," I stated crossly, aggravated at this harebrained scheme. I was going to get in trouble for going to the human world without Gaia, I just knew it.

"Aye, I am. I'm about to change the course of their love and bring them together. A warrior and his love, a woman to protect and serve until the day he can no longer breathe. Romanticism at its finest. Aye, I'll be having a great time."

"Where…where am I?" Beside us I heard the roughened male voice and fell over in surprise.

"What are you doing transporting a mortal around!" I cried out, drawing his attention to the two of us. As he turned, I realized the full extent of his beauty. He had raven black hair that stretched to his chin, and blew slightly with the wind. The green eyes were piercing and haunting, and the face that of a god. Believe me. I would know by now. He was taller than I was with a lean, muscular build that bellied his martial arts training.

"The hell are you two dressed in?" he asked immediately and I glared at him.

"Don't berate my fashion sense."

"I meant no offense, lass," he replied easily with a small grin. "But do you mind tellin' me why I've come to a place so far away from my home?" I quickly pointed to Grace, which drew his attention to her. "By the Fae…Gráinne Ní Mháille. This must be a dream."

"It isn't, but I thank you for saying so." I rolled my eyes at her obvious happiness and stood, dusting off my uniform. "I've come to intervene in behalf of the god Ares."

"And I come in behalf of the Fae," I quickly stated, much to Grace's obvious pleasure of my quick thinking.

"The Fae?" I just nodded, looking to Grace to see what to do.

"Well, let's go introduce ourselves, but first…" she waved her hand at Dubhán and his clothes were instantly repaired and clean. "Now let's bring you to your woman so you can finally have her." She began to march straight up to the main house and I just sighed at how she was so bluntly approaching this.

"Why would you do this for me?" he asked. "I'm just another man in the world with a yearning for a lass. Why do you pick me to stand up for?"

"It's true I don't see every mortal all of the time," Grace stated, "But a warrior you are and your fighting took my notice. It was then I heard of your plight and I decided to help you. Plus, you're a countryman. I can't turn my back on you then, can I?"

"Guess not," he replied with a half boyish grin. I could literally sense the hope he held for us, and I relented against Grace's actions. Now that I was here, I was willing to help the man in any way possible. What if it had been me and an attendant turned her back because she was unwilling to break any imaginary rules? I would help him and suffer what I had to.

Grace knocked on the door as we arrived and tapped her foot impatiently as she waited; only stopping when footsteps lead to the closed door. As it opened, the woman spotted all three of us.

"I've come on behalf of the god Ares. I want to speak with you and your husband."

"Ares?" the woman stated, clearly thinking Grace was insane.

"My name is Gráinne Ní Mháille," she began, now getting the woman's attention. "And I now serve the god Ares. I wish to speak with you and your husband about your daughter."

"As you wish," the woman stated. "Draighean! We have company." A man walked into the room as we were invited inside. "This is Gráinne Ní Mháille come back from the dead, and she wants a word with us." Her amusement to Grace's declaration was clear.

"Go home," he told us. You have no place here with your lies. This is cheap, even for you Dubhán."

Incensed, I brought myself to my full height and sent them the haughtiest glare I could muster. "This not his scheme. We have come to intervene on behalf of Ares and of the Fae. If you wish proof, you have no farther to look than me. Bruadar! I need you."

"Bruadar? Of the Fae?" The man asked suspiciously.

"Aye," I replied, just as the dark portal appeared beside of me.

"You have need of me my beauty?" Bruadar asked, stepping out slowly of the portal, sending me a look of desire as he always did. I smiled, used to his charm, and pointed toward Draighean.

"He believes that I am not a messenger of the Fae." I could feel Bruadar feeling my memories and smiled as he turned and glanced at the pair, all superior Fae.

"Believe her. She is of the Fae and you will do well to heed her words." Around us things began to lift, an easy feat for Bruadar and one that made the couple instant believers. "I hear you deny your daughter true love. Is this so?" Now I could just sit back and relax. Bruadar may take a woman every month, and may leap from one to another without any remorse, but it didn't mean he didn't stand for true romance. It was one of the things I loved about him and that made me become his friend.

"She must marry another farmhand. He must know how to run the farm when we are gone." Behind the parents, I saw a beautiful redhead round the corner and gape at Dubhán. She looked like a princess out of a fairy tail, dainty, exotic, and beautiful. Something shone from her that even drew my gaze and I could easily see why Dubhán had fallen in love with her.

"Little liar," Bruadar stated cruelly, letting everything drop with a clang to emphasize his words. "I am Fae and I know your true thoughts. You are easy to see through as clear water and I will hear the truth of your words, immediately."

"He will leave her and she'll be heartbroken," the mother stated. Whether it was by Bruadar's compulsion or her own impulse, it was spoken. Dubhán's eyes widened at the implications as he realized the true reason he had been denied for so long. "We are only trying to protect her."

"And as easy as I can see you, I see his thoughts as well," Bruadar stated, gesturing to Dubhán as he looked at her mother. "He loves her with the truest of intentions. Let them marry. He would live here if it was the only way he could have her, but you never thought to ask him that. You only assumed." His eyes cutting, he looked to the father, who finally showed remorse and turned his gaze away. "I see and know all, and all that I know and see says they belong together. You will lose your daughter one way or the other, and to a man that will care for her is something lacking in this world. This will be the only chance your daughter will have, so use it wisely." Finally, he acknowledged the beautiful woman standing behind her parents. "Sorcha."

"Yes?" she breathed, holding her folding hands near her chest as if she was afraid.

"Speak of your decision to your parents. What you would have done if they had forbidden you from marrying him." She gasped and I knew she had kept this secret enough, because her surprise at Bruadar's knowledge was evident.

"I…" She looked to her parents, then back to Dubhán, and finally to Bruadar. "I would have run away with him."

"You would have lost your daughter forever because of your mistrust and unwillingness to get to know the one she loves," Bruadar stated with just enough scorn for them to feel guilty. "But by all of the Fae, I bless this couple." On each of the couple's hands formed a silver ring on their fingers, and they held up their hands to closely see the ring. The silver encased a pure emerald, and the band was wound with golden strands. Worth their weight in gold, if I had it figured right.

"I will marry him father," Sorcha stated as she walked over to Dubhán, putting her hands in his and gazing up at him with total love and devotion. "Whether I have your permission or not. But I want your approval, because it does mean a lot to me that you accept Dubhán."

"You have my approval and my apologies," the mother finally spoke up. "I didn't get to know him and didn't trust him. I should have known any man that you chose would be acceptable to me."

I looked at Grace, who nodded. It was time for us to go and time for the family to heal and become one again. Bruadar simply snapped his fingers, bringing us back to where Grace had ported us to, and smiled at me.

"It has been a while since I've scared mortals. A nice treat, Beauty. But alas, I know it is your time to train, and I have someone waiting for me." With a wink he disappeared into nothing and I smiled. Must be a new mortal for Bruadar not wanting to stay and speak for a few minutes.

"That was fun," Grace stated, her hands on her hips as she smiled contently. "And satisfying. I love a good ending, don't you?"

"Doesn't every woman?" I asked with a sigh. I remembered the look in his eyes when he had seen Sorcha, and would have given anything to have a man look at me with that depth and passion. We both shared a look, each of us silently agreeing that both of us indeed loved a happy ending.

Grace teleported us back to the training room with just a wave of her hand and quirked an eyebrow as she saw Ajax and Achilles sitting against the wall, each with a spear in their lap. I couldn't help but giggle; the two warriors just seemed so….innately bored.

"_Finally_ you're back," Ajax stated, stressing the word as he sent me a look that resembled a childish pout. The giggles became louder as he just became more adorable to me, and even Grace was grinning in her amusement.

"Aw, did we not bring you along?" she replied in a patronizing tone. "I'm sorry, poor baby."

"Don't antagonize," I heard from behind us. As I turned, Ares was on the dais once again, with the same bored look he always seemed to wear. Yet a flash of Dream Ares flew through my mind, his face showing hints of emotions, letting the impenetrable Ares guard down. However, the flash was for a mere moment, and in its place was a very unamused god. In reaction, the giggle died and I sobered up instantly.

"Oh come on, Ares. We're only a few minutes late," Grace stated, walking over to sit beside of her god.

"Where did you go?" he asked, his tone never changing from the disapproval Grace didn't seem to notice.

"To the mortal realm," she answered honestly. "There was a mortal I wanted to help and I brought Eveleen along. But we're here to train now."

To my utter surprise, he simply commanded, "Do not be late again." He was actually letting us off the hook for now? Shocking.

"Here," Achilles stated, and I turned and barely caught a spear flying towards me. "We'll be training with the spear again."

"I would never have guessed," I muttered, and Achilles grinned.

"Come. This is how you thrust." I snorted and Achilles sent me a look, both sensual and amused, and let the obvious go.

* * *

My body was weary just like Achilles had warned me it was going to be, but I felt accomplished. I had learned how to block, thrust, and parry with the spear today, all under Ares's watchful gaze. Grace had jumped into the fray after a while, claiming her own boredom, but neither Ajax nor Achilles seemed to mind. All three taught me at once, each picking up where another had left off, and my head was swirling with all that I had learned today.

With Gaia, we had done the same exercise. Draw my power into the earth and try to touch the silken strands. Of course, I wasn't close, but I could see them if I concentrated hard enough, and that was still an accomplishment in my eyes.

And fortunately for me, Gaia had known how my body hurt, and had taken me someplace I had needed to go. She took me to her bathing chambers. Now that I was here, I realized why every woman loved this place; it was beautiful, relaxing, and utterly peaceful. Instead of the marble floors, her bathing chambers were just a floor of soft grass. Various hot baths littered the massive room, and each was big enough for maybe five or six people. Trees and vines covered most of the pools, giving one a sense of privacy without being truly alone, and many of the women were nude as they bathed. Men were not allowed in these particular chambers, so it was also a place to get away and just relax.

I was lucky to find my own pool; many women were already in here, chattering and relaxing from their day. I listened to the noise but not the words as my body slid deeper into the hot water, and I let out a sigh of contentment. I could live in these pools and be happy for the rest of my life. I laid my head back and my arms on the side, allowing my eyes to shut and my body to relax almost to the point of sleep. Now, I finally let all of my guards down, just smiling at my new fate. I was happy to be here, near sleep in a beautiful forest room filled with baths…in the Greek pantheon, with my Fae friends to be by my side. There was nothing more I could have asked for.

"_Of course there is."_

With a snap, I bolted up at the voice in my head and opened my eyes. But strangely, I was not in the bathing chambers. I was in the beautiful paradise Dream Ares had procured for me last night.

"I'm really dreaming again, aren't I?" I stated. "Fell asleep, I did."

"Yes," I knew the voice and smiled softly.

"Dream Ares," I greeted as I turned to see him. "I didn't expect to see you so soon."

"Neither did I," he agreed. "But here you dream of me again." I just laughed at him.

"Are we going to start this again? Whether I dream of you or not is not important. I'm here which is what should matter." As I moved toward him, the color red caught my eye and I looked down. I was garbed in the blood red of Ares, in a quite revealing…attire I would say. It covered enough of my chest to walk around in, but left my stomach and back bare. A small skirt reached my thighs, enough to fight and move in, but definitely not to sit.

"You have an interesting subconscious," he commented.

"Shut up, I didn't do it." A small blush stained my cheeks and I folded my arms over my chest to cover what I could.

"This is your dream, is it not?" I growled at him but wished for my clothing to change. Unfortunately, it did not.

"Well I suck at manipulating dreams, apparently. You change me." He shrugged and clicked his fingers. Immediately, the skirt shortened.

"That isn't what I meant!" I nearly yelled, my cheeks now flaming in embarrassment as I tried to pull the skirt down.

"Should have been more specific," he stated drolly, but I could see a small smile on his face. Miniscule in most cases, but for Dream Ares, it spoke volumes.

"I know you're having quite a bit of fun at my expense, but just make it what it used to be!"

"You'll just complain again."

"I'll complain now!" I felt like tearing my hair out and laughing all at once; this was a predicament I'd never been in before. He didn't seem to be watching me with lust or eyeing me with desire. He only seemed to be amused at my embarrassment as if he was doing it just to make me crazy. Well, it was working.

"You yell quite loudly," he commented before changing my skirt back to the way it was. "No more complaints; my ears can't take any more abuse."

"Laugh it up," I grumbled. "So what do you think, Dream Ares? Did I do well enough today?"

"For a mortal," he easily replied. "You still cannot be called a true warrior." He stood, hands at his side and his body relaxed, but ready to strike. Yet I thought that this _was_ his relaxed stance…he just didn't know how to truly relax. A trait worthy of Ares I would suppose.

"That I'm fully aware of, but a compliment would be nice." I wouldn't lie; I did want his approval even if he was a figment of my imagination. He was the truest warrior in the sense of the word, and his approval would mean everything in my training. It was something to hold as my body would ache, and something to look forward to when I dreamt.

"A mortal necessity." He lay against the hill shaped like a chair and merely crossed his legs as he watched me. "Why does a mortal feel the need to have approval of others? It is your own viewpoint that counts."

"Bullshit. Everyone needs to feel accepted by those around them." Getting into the new philosophical debate, I went to the hill and this time lay down beside of Dream Ares, my head resting mere inches away from his, but our bodies never touching.

Ares chuckled darkly. "A god has no need for acceptance of any others but himself."

"Because you're the ultimate pinnacle of power and beauty. A mere mortal is not."

"You are aesthetically pleasing, mortal, and you have power. So why do you need my approval on the matter? You have the same gifts as most of the attendants, and most do not care what is spoken of them." I had been called beautiful before, and the compliment merely rolled off of my shoulders.

"Then they have more self worth than others. What others say does influence me and probably will for some time."

Dream Ares tilted his head to the side, so close that his hair tickled the side of my face. An uncharacteristic shiver surprised me, but I let it pass. He was a man after all; a beautiful one, so it should only be expected. "Then you will live your life according to other's standards?"

"No. I'll live my life the way I want, and try to help and please others as I go along. But I will choose who I ignore and who I please. If I don't care, then I will not try."

He turned back so the hair wasn't touching me anymore, and looked up at the pure blue sky above us. "So you would please your friends."

"Aye," I answered immediately. "Definitely friends, possibly allies, and definitely my family and boyfriend. They would mean the most to me."

"Humph. Why not cater your lover to your needs?" With a slightly playful smile, this time I turned to Dream Ares, letting my own hair caress his face. There was no reaction whatsoever, but I didn't feel any loss.

"When I take a lover here, he will be everything I've ever wanted. Why change that which is already something I love?" I chuckled a little bit. "I would choose someone headstrong, so he would not change easily either." The closeness was still unsettling, like the air of two lovers, but somehow I still felt relaxed and composed instead of blushing and shy.

"I would have thought a woman like you would want a man with no spine." The way he said it was kind of insulting, but in his eyes I only saw a sort of curiosity as one would have for an insect: impersonal to the extreme.

I laughed full out. "I could never date a man like that. I want a man that can stand on his own and for what he believes in. I want a man strong enough to protect me. And most of all, I want a man in control, but willing to give it up from time to time. Why would anyone date a wimp? That I don't understand at all." I looked past Dream Ares to the beautiful and exotic flowers hedging our small area. "What about you, Dream Ares? What does the figment of my imagination desire in a woman?"

Now his gaze locked onto mine and my stomach fluttered. A beautiful god this one was, and that beauty was both desirable and something to be feared. Who could tame something this wild, this beautiful, and keep it theirs forever? By watching Bruadar, nothing existed in this world to hold something of this beauty except another god or goddess.

"I want…" he began thoughtfully, his eyes seeing me but not truly looking at me. I was surprised he was going to answer this question; I was so used to his evasiveness that I didn't expect him to answer much of anything. "I want a strong woman. One that will fight by my side and warm my bed at will."

"Will she be smart?" I asked, bringing his gaze back to actually look at me.

"Yes, I suppose. I wouldn't fuck an idiot." My mouth gaped and I gasped at his brash crudity.

"By the Fae, Ares, don't be mean."

"I state nothing but the truth," he replied calmly. "You did ask the question."

That I had and I should have known better. "True enough, Dream Ares." I propped my arm onto the hill and placed my head in my hand, shifting to make myself more comfortable. "So this woman will be smart, a warrior, and a jewel among females. You could easily make that happen, I'm sure."

"I have and am." I dearly wanted to know how many and who, but I kept my mouth shut. Something kept me from asking no matter how much I wanted to know.

"I would expect nothing less from a god," I replied. I let the silence stretch between us for a few moments before asking my next question. "So Dream Ares. If you're real, why do you come to me in my dreams? You could probably still associate with me even though I'm not the greatest attendant."

"Do you wish for me to?" he replied, and I grinned at the challenge he threw at me again. I wouldn't question myself; he was my dream and mine alone, not the god of war. Just a replica…one I enjoyed.

"Not your counterpart. He is…well….an asshole most of the time. I couldn't be true friends with someone that tore down my ego every turn. A friend builds one another and helps them. The true Ares couldn't do that to me. I think it would kill him to play nice." Braving the lover's air between us, I took a lock of his hair and twirled it around my fingers. He merely looked at the hand then back to me, but I was very amused. His hair was as soft as it looked and I needed to find a conditioner that could give me the same results. It was probably the softest I had ever felt-

"What if I say these things because I do not know how to handle a peculiar mortal like yourself?" he asked, cutting into my absent train of thought. I smirked at the allusion of him as the real Ares, and ignored it as such.

"He's a god. He would know how to handle any mortal."

"You give me much credit."

"He's a god," I reiterated, earning a miniscule smile from Dream Ares.

"True mortal, I am. Then what do you wish of me?"

"Okay, Dream Ares. I'll bite. I would want you to treat me like Achilles treats me. He trains me as a soldier and one to be respected. I know I don't earn your respect overnight, but you can stop with the constant insults. Just treat me like a slave or something. It's probably what all of your attendants seem to you anyways."

"I treat them as warriors," he replied. "When they fight and win, they will earn my respect. What have you won?"

"I won against Ajax. A fluke, but I did."

"If you call that a victory, then I suppose."

"I also made you use your god powers," I reminded him. "If I was so inconsequential as you make me seem, you would not have had to use your powers."

"And thus I began to train you. That is a rare privilege in its own right."

"I suppose. But then again I don't have to interact with your counterpart that much, so I guess it isn't that big of a deal. I like you better anyways."

"So it would seem."

"I would like to call you friend, even if you are just another part of me." I stopped playing with his hair but kept it between my fingers. "Could you call a personal attendant friend? A lonely one with no friends whatsoever?"

He continued to look at me, his face totally impassive, and stated, "Your guilt trips do nothing to me." I grinned as he picked up on the obvious ploy and lightly pulled on his hair.

"You're supposed to say yes."

"What if I don't wish to be friends with you?"

"Then I must dream of someone else to be friends with now, don't I?" To this, he leapt into action as quick as a cat, and flattened me onto my back, his body draped over mine. His hands were placed on either side of my head as he leaned closer to where his hair pooled around my face, his lips inches from my nose.

"You couldn't dream of anyone else because you know I'm perfect for you," he replied smugly and huskily. My heart tripped a beat at this new development, forcing me to think of my Dream Ares as something more than a beautiful man. I thought of him kissing me for the very first time, and I would admit I wasn't averse to the idea. "Even if you dream of another man, you will think of me." The arrogance that usually rankled now appealed to me, in an odd sort of domineering way. Not my usual style and yet I was mesmerized.

"Who said it had to be a man?" Taken aback, he looked at me with one eyebrow raised, and the sensual moment was broken.

"You swing that way?" he asked, his voice full of surprise. I knew I had caught him unawares and I couldn't help but to laugh.

As I smiled up at the totally jealous Dream Ares, I touched noses with him, a gesture I had picked up from Bruadar. "No but it was worth it to see your face. Wickedly cute, might I add."

"A warrior is never cute."

"Adorable?"

"Absolutely not." Now the air was playful and I responded in kind, liking the way he was letting down some of his guards.

"Huggable?"

"Never."

"Cuddly?" I saw the disgust over that comment and giggled.

"Say it again and die." I couldn't help but to laugh at his words. Though the Ares I knew as a god was anything but playful, I did like this side.

More or less, my Dream Ares was becoming more and more of a mystery, like a rubix cube. Flip it to one side and he's aloof. Turn it one way and he's sensual. Yet turn it another and he's playful and kind. How many side of this man were there? It seemed the more I dreamed of him, the more I was drawn back for more. The moment before had caught me unawares yet I wasn't too surprised. He was strikingly beautiful and easy for a woman to moon over. Plus, he was mine and mine alone through my dreams. I could do anything to him here and the real Ares would never know; it was a perk and one I was starting to think of.

"So Dream Ares. If I cannot dream of anyone else, how will you amuse me?" He quirked an eyebrow at me, thankfully passing over any crude comment he could have made, and watched me with a slight intent look on his face.

"You want me to amuse a mortal? Easy enough. What is one of your dreams? Wishes? Here in the dream I can take you anywhere."

"I wish I could even do that," I replied, a bit miffed. It was annoying that I could not control my own dreamscape or what I dreamt of, but Dream Ares was a good substitute. "I've always wanted to see New York. Show me there, if you will."

"Easy, mortal." He stood smoothly and reached a hand out for me. In that moment I was taken again by my female urgings. Here stood a god before me, his eyes dropped of his usual guards, a hand out to help me. A sexy, powerful man who could do anything for me with just a word. It was heady, arousing, and tempting all at once.

"What is that I see in your eyes, mortal?" he asked, his tone taunting and playful.

"A normal reaction for any woman," I replied, shaking off the moment and taking his hand. "I've already told you you're a beautiful man. Me thinking that you're beautiful shouldn't come as any surprise."

"True enough. But you haven't looked at me that way once."

"Not for lacking of thinking about it. But you're not real. I'm not real in this place. I'm just a dream as are you."

"But dreams are a window of the heart, are they not?" Dream Ares replied, dropping my hand. Yet his touch lingered and I rubbed away the sensation.

"Maybe," I allowed. "But we will probably never know." Knowing he was through with this discussion, I stepped away from him, but he reached out an arm. He grasped the back of my neck and pulled me close to him.

"If I am to take you, you must stay close. We don't want to materialize inside of anything, do we?"

"Not particularly."

Around me, the images began to blur, and instead of the beautiful paradise we enjoyed, I was in a busy street, one that I'd never seen the like. I stepped away from Ares, forgetting him entirely in that moment, and he let me go as he saw the pure wonder in my eyes. This was not the normal scenery that I enjoyed: the luscious green grass and gentle rolling hills. This was something that even with pictures I could not grasp.

People bustled as if they didn't have time for a spoken word, each buried with a cell phone, newspaper, or headphones in their ear. Many people crowded the sidewalk, each bumping into one another without time for an apology. But within them, I saw many different humans from different corners of the world. And they all looked at place here in this city. Cars drove by me, each crowding the other to where I couldn't understand how they drove. And finally around me, I saw the huge buildings, each stacked on top of one another for no room. Yet somehow as crowded as it seemed, the glorious buildings just seemed marvelous. I could see that this street the buildings looked to be apartments, but the next street was like an entire new city. A glorious adventure and fun I could have here. If every street brought out a different face of this old city, I could be amused for a lifetime simply wondering and exploring.

"Impressed mortal?"

"Aye, even if it 'tis a dream. A wonderful place if I've ever seen one."

"It's too crowded for you."

"Aye, I'll admit it. But something makes it special to me. I don't know what, but I would love to come here to explore. Maybe Gaia will let me go one day."

"You can. An attendant can come and go as they please, if they are not needed."

"I can't," I mourned sadly, my eyes roving over the buildings and people as I spoke. "I haven't been trained in this yet. I'm learning to master the earth first."

"You will learn when you have enough energy to make the trip. Until then you will remain in Olympus."

"A pity," I stated. "But one to be expected I suppose. What about you, Dream Ares? What is your favorite spot in the world?"

"In the battlefield," he easily replied with a small smirk.

"It's not what I was asking for and you well know it."

"I have no favorite spot in the world except Olympus. You humans are tied to this earth, not I."

"Aye, I guess I can understand. Nothing is as grand as it is there."

"You should have seen the palaces of the old world. They were built in our image, you understand."

"It would have been a sight, then. Can attendants travel to the past?"

"Only the gods," Dream Ares replied. I nodded a bit ruefully. I would have loved to have seen my country grow, but oh well. I hadn't much hope anyway.

Suddenly and without any warning, the scenery around us began to shimmer and fade, but what was strange was that Dream Ares stood at attention, alert and focused. As specs of…something…fell around us, I felt true fear.

"You didn't do that, did you Dream Ares?"

"No. Stay close, girl."

The shimmers around us finally burst, leaving us in complete darkness. I couldn't see a thing, nor could I hear Dream Ares. I couldn't even hear my breath, and it felt as if the darkness was trying to suffocate me.

"Ares, Ares. Playing with a mortal in their dreams? This is a first for you." I couldn't hear where the voice came from; it seemed to come from all around me. Yet still I was afraid and I had no idea where Ares was. I was basically alone to deal with whatever came.

"And if it is?" I heard Ares speak, but to my dismay, it too was thrown around me, as if it was bouncing around. No hope to find him.

"No need to get defensive, oh great Ares." I could hear the sarcasm, yet something felt…fine. I relaxed a small fraction, but the fear was abating. Why? He hadn't spoken that he came in peace, but neither had he attacked. And Ares didn't seem to mind whoever it was…but then Ares wouldn't be ruffled anyway. So who was this person who invaded my dreams?

"Why have you come Morpheus?" Ares asked.

"I come with a warning. Dally with this mortal longer and you put her in danger." The threat seemed ominous, but I felt no danger from the voice.

"This is only a dream," I stated. "Why should my dreams put me in danger?"

"You have not told her?" Suddenly I felt a feather light touch on my neck. I jumped and whirled, but there was nothing to see in the pitch black darkness.

"Nothing I can say will convince her otherwise. She's a mortal."

"Stuck in her own beliefs?" Morpheus purred, followed by a dark laugh that sent shivers down my spine. "A trait shared by most, I'm afraid. He is real, mortal, and has been visiting you when he can."

"Okay," I began, my whole body crying out vehemently in denial, but I had to ask the questions on my mind. "If Dream Ares is not a dream, then why come in my dreams? Why not come to me in Olympus?"

"My dear," Morpheus began, "You are quite exquisite." I felt a hand on my chin and I was jerked up, only for the darkness to recede and reveal a pair of onyx eyes to peer out from the swirling black dark. This was not my Ares. This had to be Morpheus. "When you become a true attendant, I can see that you will have great power. And with great power always comes jealousy."

"Jealousy?" I echoed. "Other attendants?"

"Do you not know? Ares love is Aphrodite herself." A part of me remembered, this was how Eros was born, but somehow hearing it as I had seen them both made it more real to me. This Ares was taken by the goddess of love. Even though I had only done so a handful of times, I could not think of Ares as a lover anymore. "Ah, so you abhor poaching. This I have seen in your dreams, mortal. You think you are no match for this beautiful goddess? You think to not dream of your great Dream Ares again?"

"Aye. If he's taken I won't dream of him. I'll dream of another man if I must."

"Perhaps. But I warn you, mortal. The goddess does not take lightly to competition, no matter how frivolous."

"There won't be any. If I must, Ares will be my teacher only. Not even my friend. Even if she is a bitch, I won't do that."

"You think you will not now. Only your dreams will tell, and I look forward to them." A small blush tainted my cheeks and the eyes danced. "So you have those dreams? Intriguing."

"Morpheus, if you are done, release her and go."

"You understand I came to warn you."

"And you have, Oneiroi. Now go." At once the darkness disappeared as if it had never been and the hand around my chin slid off into nothing. I shivered…this was a dream god? I had only remembered a few things about him, only that Morpheus could be in any dream he chose to be. But I hadn't known how creepy or frightening he could be.

"So you're telling me you're the real Ares."

"I always have."

"I refuse to dream of you, then."

"You cannot deny me entrance, girl, more than you can deny that you enjoy dreaming of me." I glared at him.

"Be that as it may, I will not incite the wrath of Aphrodite." I crossed my arms over my chest, showing that I was adamant in my decision.

"She will know nothing of your dreams unless she asks the Oneiroi. But she suspects nothing, and I have always thought you fascinating."

"Okay, back up. You are the master of impassive. So you're saying that all this time, you've been interested?"

"A mortal with fighting prowness – though highly untrained – are rare. For you to have come into contact with your gods and learn how to fight with two different weapons is another thing. That style you fight with is yours and yours alone. No other will even dare to try it, and that is a unique thing. I am the god of war, girl. I will train the best and only the best. I will make you a warrior among your people, so what harm is there to learn your true self?" He was being so contradictory! Wasn't he supposed to love slaughter? War was just killing anyways. So why get to know the true me?

"My…true self?"

"A warrior must not be afraid to kill, but must when they time arises. They must kill with honor and please me as they fight. Slaughter is war, but not of who I personally train. I only train ones who I wish to fight by my side."

"I don't understand."

"And I don't expect you to," he replied easily. "And I will explain my reasons no further. But I will visit you, girl, whether you like it or not. My reasons are my own."

"My reasons are that you were my friend and someone I could be with peacefully. One that understood me. But if you're the real Ares, you'll revert to who you truly are."

"You have no idea of my true self, girl." The anger in his eyes was palatable and I took a step back. Perhaps I should have been more cautious, but the shock was robbing me of my common sense. "If you do not wish to speak and banter as we have, we will train here. But I will come to you in your dreams, as I have with my other warriors." Hearing that he had done this with others brought a pang, but I quickly let it pass. This was difficult for me. The dream I had been so interested in was gone…and in its place was the god I had avoided for so long.

"Are you real?" I asked for once. "Are you the god Ares, god of war, lover of Aphrodite, father of Eros?"

"I am," he affirmed. "As I always told you I was."

"No," I agreed quietly. "You never lied to me." A dream…literally…taken out from under me with only a few words. Surprising and definitely saddening. I had enjoyed my nightly banters. "If you must, come to me then. But it won't be like before."

"Only because you choose it not to be." Surprising that he would try to fight to have the normalcy of our nightly encounters back. But I couldn't let it be.

"You weren't real to me," I stated aloud. "You were a figment. A dream I could reach. But now you're a god and even if I was interested in you that way, I would never. You are too far above me and I am not powerful enough for your lover."

"No. But you said that you were in need of a friend. In here, I have no pretenses. I see you as you truly are in your dreams; there is no hiding your true self here. If you wish I would still be your friend, but only here. No one will believe you if you speak of it outside of this realm." I thought about it. There was no harm in at least being civil to him. If I could get extra lessons in my dreams, perhaps I would become stronger, faster. Instead of Achilles as a trainer, I would get Ares. I could have both. And some unfathomable part of my mind did not want to let go of Dream Ares just yet. An illogical part, and one that held some unreasonable amount of sway over my logical mind.

"Train me, then. If you want to learn who I truly am, train me in this realm, and I will speak of it to no one. Not even Gaia."

"She will know, but she will not speak of it." I thought longer about it and nodded. I did want a god as a friend. And if he could treat me as I asked him to do earlier, it could work. "Yes, mortal. I will treat you like you asked."

"You can read my mind?"

"Only if you keep broadcasting that loudly." I looked away.

"If you promise to do so and not be such a bloody ass, then I agree."

"Agreed."

And thus my life in three realms began. I was beginning to come to terms with what everyone had claimed…I was no ordinary attendant.

* * *

*bites nails* Oh my. That chapter took forever and no matter how long I wrote it, it always got away from me. Reviews would always be lovely, and I will begin to write this story with a vengeance again. So much just bouncing around in my head after my breakup with my bf, and I can't get it onto my computer fast enough.

But as always, thank you for reading and I hope you all enjoyed ^^


	7. Longing

The next morning I awoke, the feelings from last night carried through to my conscious. I was mostly angry at myself and disappointed in the dream I had thought to be real. Fortunately I hadn't had enough time to truly begin to need to dream of Ares, but it was still a blow to be sure. He had been enough of an amusement to carry me through the impassive stare of the Ares who trained me.

I sighed. No more of that, I supposed. I quickly donned my uniform and prayed that I would have the strength to keep up my normal appearance to Ares. I really hoped I could. However, I was worried about him. What would he do and say? Would he still act like the same Ares I had known? I would find out quickly.

As I walked outside, Gaia was waiting for me and as her eyes met mine, they seemed to know already. She gestured for me to come beside her and I sat down. I quickly diverted my gaze to the fountain in front of me and waited for her to speak.

"I see Ares has been visiting you in your dreams," she began. "What is the problem with this? Many gods do the same with attendants." At my hesitation she gently brushed some of the hair away from my face. "Speak freely, Eveleen."

"The problem is I liked it too much," I replied honestly. The admission wasn't as difficult to say as I thought it would, but then again this was Gaia. I don't think she could ever judge anyone. "He was so attainable, something I could reach because I had dreamed him. He was so distant yet it was like he was close to me. He was just so different from the normal Ares."

"Ares is impassive to mortals but not so for those close to him." I turned my questioning gaze to her finally and found a motherly smile on Gaia's face. It was warm and comforting and I was truly grateful to have her here when I woke up. "If you see his attendants at the feasts he will laugh and joke. To others he is cold and courteous, is he not?" I remembered the few feasts I had attended and nodded. It was very true. Ares did seem to open himself up to the warriors around him and shun everyone he deemed unworthy.

"He told me once that he wouldn't dare do anything with a mortal with no power, and I'm still not even close to that edict. So why would he even come to me in my dreams if I'm not worthy enough?"

"I told you that he would find you interesting, did I not, Eveleen?" Gaia stated, amusement in her voice. "Coming to you in your dreams is something that only a few would ever know or suspect. It is the easiest way to truly know a mortal such as yourself and isn't frowned upon. Do you see? He comes to you because you interest him, Eveleen, and he cannot stay away from you. You aren't worth his time yet but in some time you might be." Her words were harsh and sobering, but completely true all the same.

"He allowed me to do so much during my dreams, Gaia," I said with a shake of my head. Gaia nodded as if she knew exactly what had happened in my dreams. "Why?"

"Would you stop Ares if he had done the same to you?" I colored at the thought because my mind vehemently denied it, but Gaia knew the answer already. "There is an attraction between the two of you; you already accept this."

"I do find him appealing in a sense," I agreed. "But he's a god. And he's married to Aphrodite."

"No, he isn't. Aphrodite's married to Hephaestus." At my slightly disgusted look she chuckled. "Mortals. Always so black and white between you. Ares enjoys what he's offered and nothing more. I believe you call them fuck buddies?" Now I blushed at the semi crude way she put it, but it made things easier to understand in that light.

"Still, that's adultery."

"Eveleen, for us marriage is not a sacred pact, especially as a god. There are none that can challenge us in power or beauty and we live for millennia. Having one lover would get old, would it not?" I understood her point partly but she continued. "You will live for around three to five hundred years. If a god dallied with you during that time, you would be in his overall life for a mere fraction. It's not worth it to even invest our feelings when you will die within a blink of an eye."

"I just have no chance with Ares, do I?" I countered with a grin. It's not like I harbored any hope to even do anything with him and the fact that he was seriously banging another man's wife turned me off, but damn if the man wasn't a perplexing puzzle, waiting to be solved.

"Ah, but there is always a chance. He's shown interest in you. Why not show him some in return?" My mind completely blown, my mouth dropped and I gaped at the mischievous looking goddess. "You've played with him in the past. Why not now?"

"Because it's different," I mumbled weakly. "And I haven't the foggiest on how to even flirt with a god."

"Ah, but you play with Achilles and Ajax. What is the difference between them and Ares?"

"He's a god!" I reiterated.

"But also man." My cheeks flamed as I realized what she meant and buried my face in my hands. She laughed at my expense but took pity on me. "There is no reason that you must be awkward around him, Eveleen. He is a teacher for you and an acquaintance. Play with him. Be easy and do not let your indecision show. He would only capitalize on it and try to push you more." Now I knew she was right; Ares would definitely capitalize it like he had when I had fled the feasting hall on the first night I had arrived.

"I could try," I finally stated. Playing with Ares had been amusing and the impassiveness was definitely irritating. If I could get enough courage up to begin, I think I could act like I normally did. I was definitely offset by the whole atmosphere of Olympus and I had been holding myself back in fear that I would do something wrong or offend someone. But if I was going to train with Ares and his attendants, I wanted to be myself and to stop being afraid of some slight. Without Kerys, it was definitely harder for me. She was like a steady presence that grounded me and kept me from being completely shy, but I wouldn't have her for a while yet until the deal was struck between the Fae and Greeks. So I would have to bolster my own courage and attempt to be myself without fear of reprisal. I looked at Gaia and nodded once, causing her to smile.

"Ah, there's the mortal I'm used to. Chin up, Eveleen." With that she pulled me to my feet and walked me all the way to the training room. "Lighten up and let loose. I know how you act with Kerys and I know you're opinionated and fun. Allow yourself to let go. The things he says is his way of showing affection." Hearing her try to help me was enough to make me grin and nod, because she was right.

When we arrived, she held my arm lightly and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "And he almost never visits anyone in his dreams. So you're special, Eveleen." Then the door opened and she more or less shoved me in. I glared at the now shutting door, disgruntled at the way I had been deposited and earned a chuckle from in front of me.

"Trouble waking up?" Achilles asked. "Spent all night doing something?" The grin was suggestive and I decided now was a good a time to start giving as I got. Ajax snorted beside of him and behind him, Ares just sat there but Grace was smirking.

I tossed my hair back and sent him a saucy smirk. "And what if I was?" Achilles' grin deepened as I finally began to banter with him without blushing.

"I'd congratulate you, Eveleen, but assure you I'm quite better than whoever you were with." At that I had to throw back my head and laugh. Unknowingly, he just insulted the god he served.

"Mortal," Ares warned but I was having fun and somehow I had found this buried courage that I wasn't going to let go to waste.

"Aye, I'd put a wager on that," I stated cheekily. "I'd love to see which one won that battle." I couldn't help the giggles; this was just too priceless. "And what if I was with a woman and not a man?" I began to laugh again at the way the two men's eyes lit up.

"Aye, what if she was with me last night?" I heard Grace ask. Both men turned to her with lecherous grins but she wasn't unnerved; she merely sent them a purely feminine smile.

"I'd swear the world to you if you'd only let me watch." I walked over and took the spear from Achilles, kissing the bottom of his jaw. Achilles only grinned at my audacity and I liked the look of an amused smile on his face. I would have to put it there more.

"I might take you up on that sometime, great warrior. Now are we going to train or talk about my sex life all day?" I asked as I twirled the spear, warming up for my training.

"Well, I vote for option B," Ajax stated. "Seems more interesting." This earned a light chuckle from everyone but Ares, who just laid his head on a propped hand. He was quiet even for himself, perhaps a little too quiet, but that wasn't going to phase me. I would bring him out of his shell or I'd go down in flames trying.

"I have an idea," Grace stated as she hopped off the platform and walked over to me, interrupting my train of thought. "We've shown you the basics of the spear. I want you to show me the whip." I quirked an eyebrow at her but noted she was perfectly serious.

"Then after that we can play?" I asked her with a saucy smile. The sexual innuendos were a bit difficult to get used to, but these people seemed to be taking it in stride. It was like a sort of play that no one truly meant, almost as if they were bonding over something this lewd. If I could ever get over my embarrassment, I would probably find it entertaining too.

"I won't let you go until I'm good and ready," she promised with a wink at me.

"I've died again," Ajax stated. "And gone to a better place." I grinned at him again but resisted the urge to play more. I did come to train after all, and I was starting to look forward to training. All of a sudden, a bed appeared behind Grace and I and I jumped; I was not expecting _that_ to come out of nowhere! Having a sneaking suspicion I cut my eyes to the god on the dais.

"You started mortal, you finish it." The two men threw their head back and roared with laughter and even Grace had a grin. I blushed at this teasing from Ares but still held my head high even as he smirked down at me. I enjoyed the new light in his eyes and the smirk on his lips, because it reminded me so painfully of dream Ares. His amusement was contagious and I found myself smiling back at him.

"Ah, but Ares! Men aren't allowed in our playtime." I was glad Grace was ready for a comeback because I was a little shocked at the way he was playing so easily with us. Perhaps it was because Grace was involved, but I wasn't against the way he was teasing us. Grace waved her hand and the bed disappeared. "Plus we're going to train. Playing comes later."

"All work and no play makes Grace a dull girl," Ajax quipped.

"Darling, I could never be dull," she replied easily, blowing a kiss his way.

Achilles just grinned. "I would hope not."

"Bruadar!" Beside me the green portal opened and out came Bruadar, my whip already in hand, as well as another whip I'd never seen before.

"Already there, beauty. In both cases." I rolled my eyes and yanked the whips from his hands.

"If I wanted a threesome, the last I would call is you!" I shot back playfully, and he merely grinned.

"One day," he replied before stepping back into the portal, closing it behind him.

"Here." I handed Grace the extra whip. "Can you make a table with candles on them with all of them lit?" She waved a hand and it appeared in front of us. "I assume you know how to crack the whip?"

"Aye." I nodded.

"To aim, throw the whip and crack it a few inches behind your target. It'll get you used to the cracking part." Grace attempted for a few times and finally stopped and glared. Taking pity on her, I leaned over and whispered new instructions in her ear. They were delightfully naughty ones Bruadar had taught me when he first gave me my whip and still to this day I used them. When I was done, Grace threw her head back and laughed until tears rolled down her face.

"Who would have thought that you would have learned to something like this?" she finally asked as her laughter subsided. But there was a new respect in her gaze as she finally began to see the fun side I'd hidden since I'd arrived. She hadn't really seen Kerys and I in action and I'm sure she would have been amused or even encouraged our impish behavior. She seemed the type that would be in jail at your side instead of outside harping on how stupid you were.

"Just because I blush at some mentions of sex doesn't mean I'm exactly innocent. And try it that way. I bet you snuff the first candle you try for." She readied her whip and hesitated before breaking into more laughter.

"I can't do it!" she cried out, laughing.

"Just imagine it!" I told her with a broad grin.

"That's the problem!" Now we both dissolved into laughter as the men around us looked on in astonishment and worry at our sudden lapse into insanity. "I can do this. I can do this." She readied her whip a second time before dissolving into giggles. "Oh, I can do this. Stop grinning, dammit!" I turned away to hide the broad smile on my face, bringing myself to face the three men in the room. Behind me I heard the first crack of the whip and caught the 'holy shit' from Grace.

"Told you it worked."

"Damn me, so it did."

"What did you tell that woman?" Achilles finally asked.

"I told her the old trick I learned with." Behind me Grace began to laugh again. "It's quite simple. All you do is imagine a man bending over and you whipping his butt." The pure shock on their faces I would never forget. Ever. Even the master of impassive himself was staring at me in blatant shock. "Who did you imagine?" I asked Grace.

"Oh, Achilles of course." And then the moment came that I couldn't believe: Achilles actually flushed. It wasn't enough to be called a true blush, but there was red on his cheeks just the same.

"Well, if I knew you were into that, I would have come to you sooner." I broke out into a huge grin.

"You, Achilles, are blushing and I will never forget this. Not even for a moment."

"Hah, Achilles,-" Ajax began but sparing the poor golden haired warrior, I turned my smile towards Ajax.

"And what if I imagined whipping you?" Now it was the warrior's turn to flush and I grinned. "Both of you reduced to this at the mention of whipping. This is the best day ever!" I threw my hands up in victory. "I'm glad I decided to play today. Revenge is sweet."

"You don't know what you've started," Achilles replied, quickly getting over the embarrassment. He was looking at me intently with an arrogant smirk on his face, and I knew I was in some serious shit for my little stunt. But oh, how cute the blush had looked on his cheeks!

"Oh, I know. Won the battle, lost the war. But it was worth it!" Achilles advanced on me and I ducked behind Grace. "Oh, come on! It was all in good fun! It's too easy to make me blush!"

"It really is," Ajax agreed. "But worth it." I stuck my tongue out at the huge bear of a warrior but he just grinned. "Seriously, the new mortals are just so innocent."

"Eveleen," Achilles called. "Why don't you come here for a minute?" the pitch of his voice had me burying my face in Grace's back. There was revenge to be had, and his triumphant tone had me ready to flee for the hills.

"I'd like to think common sense was one of my better traits." But I still peeked out from behind Grace. As I did, I was greeted to a sight I never thought I'd see. Achilles had divested himself of the top half of his armor, leaving golden skin bared. He had the most delicious and delectable body I had ever seen, the hard muscles just rippling in all the right places. "You win," I grumbled, knowing the blush was thousands worse than their blush earlier.

"All it takes was me shirtless." He mock 'tsked' at me but it was true. I wasn't used to seeing gorgeous men shirtless unless they were on a cover of a magazine, and even when I'd had sex for the first time I'd blushed ferociously when he divested himself of his clothing. But that was just me. I was all talk and no action and I wasn't ashamed to admit it.

"Shut up!" I threw back at Achilles, hiding my head once again. "What if I did that?"

"We'd go back to my room, of course."

"Damn it." I had been winning this fun play before but oh, how I was losing now.

"You just walked on into that one," Grace stated cheerfully. "And now that we have this fantastic display, let's get down to real training."

"Tell him to put his shirt on." Silence greeted me before Grace whirled back to face me, her face full of shock and disbelief.

"You're serious."

"Aye, I'm serious!" The blush just worsened for me as I looked away from the man I knew was still shirtless.

"One of the sexiest men alive and you want him to put his shirt _on_?"

"Aye, I believed we established this already!" Silence again.

"Have you ever seen a man shirtless before?" she asked suspiciously.

"Of course I have!" I cried out indignantly. "But he's…he's…"

"A lot sexier and you're going to be more distracted." I nodded quickly and forcefully and she sighed. "I can't believe you're going to make him put his shirt on. Do you know how long it takes him to get out of it?" I felt arms on my shoulders and I jumped and yelped in surprise. Standing behind me was Achilles, a goofy yet intense grin on his face. How had he moved so quickly?

"Oh Eveleen."

"No you don't!" I jumped out of his hold, brandishing my whip. "I'll seriously come after you!" To my right I saw movement and turned just in time to see a sword thrown at me. I caught it – barely – and glared at Ajax who just smiled unrepentantly.

"This is a weakness you need to get over," he explained cheerfully.

"Come now, what man in his right mind is going to fight half naked?" I was looking everywhere but the man in front of me and sighed when he was tossed a sword of his own.

"This one," Achilles replied glibly. "Come now, this is easy to get over. We can play now and – "

"Don't finish that statement!" I interrupted. "Because you actually mean it."

"I always mean it when it comes to you. Eveleen." He stepped forward once. "I've always wanted a woman to match me in battle." Step. "A strong woman to submit and give me everything as I took her higher than the stars themselves." Step.

"Just stoooop," I moaned, causing everyone in the room to laugh. Even Ares was smirking, his own version of a smile I would figure. I desperately wished the floor would swallow me up or Gaia would save me, but no such luck was going to happen. I still had a bit of time for whatever training we usually did but I didn't think anything was going to get done today.

"All I want is to play with you, Eveleen." The husky voice he could pull of was just simply intoxicating, and if I hadn't had met dream Ares, I almost would have taken Achilles' offer seriously. And perhaps I would in time if I knew he wasn't all play.

"I'll play with you when you put a shirt on." Achilles grinned.

"No such luck, Eveleen." My face flaming I finally turned towards the warrior only to see him striding steadily toward me, sword in hand and a film of red haze around him. That quickly sobered me; using his god powers meant he was fairly serious even if he was wearing a goofy smile. Brushing my embarrassment aside I gripped the sword and quickly snapped the whip at Achilles who dodged and finally leapt at me.

We quickly fell into a routine; he would attack and I would defend until I saw an opening he deliberately left for me. I was definitely no match for him but the footwork I was being taught I could already feel making a difference. He was using enough power to make me work a little harder and though I was still put off by his half nudity I could ignore that in a real fight such as this.

Having enough of his holding back and wanting revenge of my own, I thought about what I could do with my god powers, because that would be the only way I could win. I could heal because I was used to it. I could use plants, but I hadn't been taught that and I wasn't going to find any sort of plant in a training room. But…there was rock everywhere and Gaia had said even the marble was in her domain. So if I could learn on the fly even to dislodge a tile, it would surprise him enough to where he could theoretically let down his guard and leave a genuine opening for me to attack.

So as he attacked me, knowing nothing of what I was thinking, as I was stretching my powers. I had enough concentration to spare to feel the heartbeat inside of me, to feel the pulse of magic. And I could grasp it. I could feel it throbbing harder as it knew I was trying to call on it. As I swung I felt the power even in my fingertips and knew that it was now or never. I waited until Achilles was going to pivot and when he did, I pointed my palm towards that tile and moved it only a few inches. It was enough though because Achilles faltered just for a moment and I pounced, kicking him in his ribs and leaping after him. When he hit the ground, I was there to bat away his sword with the handle of my whip and point my blade to his throat.

"Well. I didn't expect that," he stated easily knowing I wasn't going to hurt him. "But if you keep sitting on me like this you're going to suffer the consequences." I cocked my head to the side and flushed as I felt his warm hand slide up my right leg all the way to my hip. My skirt was bunched around my waist and I was straddling his waist unintentionally! I quickly bolted off of him and put some distance between us, my face flushed with embarrassment; I had never had a man casually touch me in such an intimate manner like that! It was like he was just touching my shoulder, he was so nonchalant!

"I can't believe she did that," Grace stated with a hint of awe as I fought off my embarrassment. However Achilles wasn't phased at what he had done. He simply waved his hand and put his armor back on, earning a sigh of relief from me.

"How did you manage that?" Achilles asked. I could feel the exhaustion creeping in from the use of my god powers but it was less than what I'd used for the healing before and was easily dealt with.

"I just focused on moving the tile," I admitted. "I don't know how I did it."

"At least I'm not the only one losing to her," Ajax stated with a grin. "You'll make a damn fine warrior someday, wench."

"But-"

"No, mortal." All eyes turned to Ares who sat on the dais, an indefinable look in his gaze. "You beat him fairly this time. He didn't expect you to use your powers and that was his lapse in judgment." Now he stood and walked over to me, and with every step he took, I was tempted to step back. I just felt…hunted. Yet something in me was reacting viciously to the dangerous appeal of the god and I became rooted to the spot between interest and uncertainty.

"True enough." Achilles threw the sword back to Ajax. "I didn't expect a damn thing. Devious wench. A warrior enough you are." They weren't acting as if Ares was doing something unusual, so perhaps I was safe after all.

"You beat Achilles," Ares stated as he finally came over to me and I watched him warily. Was this the man I'd met in my dreams? Or was it the god in his place? Was I being set up to be let down for a fall or was I going to be commended for my actions? "You'll do well enough, mortal." He placed a hand on my head and I all but fainted with sheer incredulousness. He was complimenting me? "Take this." In his other hand a red scarf materialized and I saw smiles on the faces of everyone but Ares.

"What is it?" I asked as I took it from him. He removed the hand from my head but didn't step back as I wanted him to. I could just feel him so close to me, even though there was at least a foot of space between us and I just knew I was attracted to him in that moment. Achilles ruffled my sensibilities, but this man put me on sensory overload. However, I just accepted this and moved on. Any woman would admit their attraction to this beautiful man and I was no different.

"It will identify yourself as a warrior under my command." Confused I stared up at the god, searching his dark eyes for some sort of hint to what he meant. Wasn't I a personal attendant to Gaia? Ares had no hold over me, didn't he? Fortunately Grace answered my unspoken question.

"You're in full training now, Eveleen. It means that you've proven yourself to be proclaimed as one of Ares's warriors. It's a rarity and an honor that it goes to someone outside of his domain." I stared at the scarf dumbly.

"But I've only been in training for three days," I mumbled, actually bowled over by the acceptance in the room. I hadn't changed that much in my fighting ability since I had came here and even then Ares had told me I wasn't good enough for him. So why was he giving me this so called honor?

"We are among the handful of the ultimate warriors," Achilles stated with pride. "To even beat one of us is a feat. Two beat two is an achievement. You're a decent fighter, Eveleen, just not properly trained for war. Don't doubt your potential." I nodded again.

"How does it go on?" I asked, noting that everyone in the room had theirs on their body in some fashion. Grace had hers around her waist, Achilles had it wound around his arm, and Ajax had it around his leg. I hadn't noticed it before because I thought it was just another part of their uniform, but now that I knew about it I could easily see it on everyone but Ares.

"However you want it to," Grace answered. I stared at the scarf in my hands and finally decided to tie it around my waist. I only wound it once and tied it in a bow, letting the excess drape down the outside of my left leg. After that, I finally smiled at Ares. My smile was wary at best but I was going to reach out and play nice with him.

"We go to war with Odin in three days," Ares stated calmly, his arms over his chest. "You will not go with us this time. Learn more control over your god powers and then you will be allowed to fight alongside us." I nodded, completely understanding and not sure if I even wanted to fight. I mean, sure, it was fun and all, but war was chaotic and brutal. Yet a little part of me wanted to fight, wanted to be by their side in glory and honor. I easily shook that part off.

"I see," I murmured, my hands fingering the silken bow at my waist idly. "When will you get back?"

"Whenever we defeat Odin, of course," Achilles answered as Ares crossed his arms over his chest.

"Who will train me when you're gone?" It was a valid question and I couldn't deny I would miss these teachers when they left for war.

"Focus on your god powers," Ares answered. "Your training will be kept up elsewhere. When we return I expect you to have some semblance of control over them."

"Hey now," I shot back, my eyes blazing with anger. "I used my god powers in under a week. I may have the finesse of a sledgehammer but I could use them!" Ares smirked at my temper but didn't say anything about talking back to him.

"You're sexy when you're angry," I heard from behind Ares and I knew that was straight from Achilles.

"Oh dear Jesus," was my immediate reply as I hid my face in my hands. "If I ever did decide to sleep with you, you wouldn't even know what to do with yourself."

"Want to make that a bet?" I saw movement from behind Ares and I took a step back.

"No I certainly do not!"

"You'll come around one day." Disgruntled at the amount of attention, I peeked around Ares and glared hard at the warrior, sending the best look of death I could muster.

"He did say he wanted a woman who could fight," Grace agreed with a grin. Damn her mischievous hide! "And you did just beat him."

"Fluke!" I reminded them, but it was lost to the grins on their faces.

Behind us the door opened and all of us stopped and turned, looking to see who it was. Gaia would always wait outside for me so it couldn't have been her. Instead a woman walked in, her gaze only for Achilles and I blinked. She was wearing red and the sash, so it meant she was a warrior. But what was she doing here? Was she going to help train me too?

"Achilles, I thought you were going to fight me today?" The warrior just sent her one of his sexy grins and I could see that it even affected this beautiful woman. She was definitely gorgeous with her high cheekbones and flawless skin. Her hair was delicately piled on her head with golden pins to match her hair, and her movements were graceful and sure. She didn't look like a warrior at first glance, but there was strength there. I could sense it.

"And so I would later. I'm finishing up here."

"And what are you doing?" her eyes found mine and I felt my hackles rising on instinct. This woman, whoever she was, wasn't here for good intentions and I would do well to watch myself around her. Her eyes were cold and haughty as she eyed me, but I wasn't stupid enough to rise to the insult and attempt anything with her. Instead I fell silent and just watched.

"She's the one we've been training."

"Oh, the earth user." I bristled but she just turned and looked away, leaving me simmering as she casually dismissed me. "You can play with her later, Achilles. I want some time with you now."

"Later, Camilla. I have promised that I would train Eveleen at this time every day and I won't break my word." I was confused; had he actually promised me that? I wasn't sure but I wasn't about to jump into this fight.

"She doesn't look like much," she said, her eyes cutting back to me. I knew what she was about; she was trying to bait me for some odd reason and I wasn't going to rise to it. I felt pride as I realized why: Ares himself had complimented me. That's all I had needed to feel secure enough to let this insult roll off of my shoulders. If her own god said I had done a good job, then goddamn I had been fantastic and this woman wasn't going to bother me. A smirk characteristic of Ares crossed my lips but I didn't bother to hide it, earning an amused smirk from Ares. If he'd learned anything from my dreams he knew exactly what I was cocky about.

"Because I haven't finished training her yet," Ares answered, bringing my gaze to the god. He hadn't bothered to turn toward the newcomer but the amused smirk was gone and he was looking quite bored, his way of saying that he wasn't pleased with the situation. This god was definitely not amused at the interruption.

"She wears your sash, great Ares. Have you given it in error?" I was amazed Ares was allowing this woman to speak to him like this, but I realized he wasn't allowing it. His eyes smoldered angrily as she dared question him and even I felt a small fission of fear. I barely kept myself from taking a step back and I was well reminded of what god he was.

"I do not make mistakes." His tone was clipped and arrogant. Camilla looked immediately contrite and lowered her gaze in submission, but everyone knew that was just for show. She was anything but apologetic and it was pathetic that she was acting so territorial and bitchy.

"Of course you haven't," she placated. "But any other warrior would have fought for their honor by now." That barb was aimed for me and I finally had enough of sitting back and staying quiet.

"And that's why I'm not serving under Ares," I finally shot back, annoyed with her. "Because I have no need for your opinion and I quite honestly don't give a shit how you think of me." The god in question turned his gaze to look at me and I knew what he was thinking of. I had said I cared about what people had thought about me, but if he remembered that, he should remember that it was his approval that mattered the most and what was keeping me from questioning my worth as a warrior. Yet his gaze was impassive and I couldn't guess if he had put two and two together or not.

"Humph. Backing down already?" The woman was ready for me to fly off the handle and leap at her like an idiot, but I didn't have that urge. I wasn't that stupid and I knew she could wipe the floor with my ass if she so desired. She had control over her god powers and I didn't, which was the deciding factor on me not losing my temper.

"No," I said with a cold smile. "But your god has seen me capable enough to give me this sash. So his opinion is that I'm worthy enough, and his opinion matters a lot more than a random attendant." Oh, my temper was soaring by this point and I didn't feel the need to hold back verbally.

"I'm Camilla of the Volsci, a princess of the Amazon." With her title stated she tossed her hair back and I just shook my head.

"I couldn't care if you're a princess or not." I saw Grace smile and kept going. "Because Ares has accepted me, so you can just get used to that." Ares was smirking at my display of temper; he seemed to enjoy those types of outbursts from me. I also noted Camilla's shock and rage, but Grace finally stepped in.

"Camilla." Her voice was a whip of anger and it brought the princess' eyes to her. "You will leave Eveleen alone. She is young and she will be trained, and you will not interfere with her time here. If I hear of you in any way harassing her or attempting to fight her, you will be punished." The woman's face contorted but she finally subsided.

But why would she listen to Grace? As my gaze swapped between the two women I noticed the differences. Grace wore embroidered armor with the symbol of Ares engraved onto her chest while the other woman wore a simple breastplate. Which meant Grace was a personal attendant and she ranked over the simple attendant.

"She isn't worth my time," Camilla stated, finally giving up the battle she couldn't win. "I'll see you later, Achilles." She turned and walked slowly out of the room, her hips swaying unnecessarily. As the door shut I just blinked.

"Spitfire, isn't she?" I asked to the room generally. "I could see why she serves under Ares with that arrogance and temper."

"You held your own well enough," Ajax stated. "She wanted to fight you but you didn't give her the opportunity. She would have used all of her god powers to crush you."

"But _why_?" I stressed.

"Because she used to be the center of Achilles' attention," Grace answered. "Now she's contesting time with you." I crinkled my nose in distaste.

"At least I don't have to be a bitch to get a man's attention." Ajax and Grace chuckled while Achilles laughed.

"I'll give you that, Eveleen, but she's damn good in bed." His grin was sensual and amused and I just sighed.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you to not kiss and tell?" I snapped back. I didn't want to particularly imagine Achilles in bed while he was in the same room. Talk about awkward.

"Perhaps she did but the delightful blush keeps me wanting to break that rule more and more." I growled at the man, annoyed that he would love embarrassing me, but I supposed that was a trait he shared with Ares. Both of them just loved to push my buttons. And perhaps if I wanted to truly be honest, I enjoyed it because the teasing and constant harassment was a form of their affections.

"All right, mortal." I looked back up to Ares. "They've trained you with the spear. Let's train with the sword." I cocked my head to the side, confused.

"Why not work on the weapons I'm the worst at?"

"You must be proficient in every weapon but you will prefer one. Or in your case, two. Prepare yourself." I was about to question when Ares raised his hand and in his hand materialized a blade. I swore before bringing up my sword to block but felt the shock all the way down my arm. "Leave us for now," Ares commanded. "I'll train with the mortal for a day. Achilles, go and satisfy your woman so she doesn't bother us again."

"Fun," I heard Grace say as I braced my sword against Ares. "The usual?" she asked.

"Sounds like a plan," I heard from Achilles. "I'll meet you both afterwards." We stayed in the stalemate until the door closed behind them.

"All right, mortal. How would you get out of this?" My attention was drawn back to the god and to the blade I was barely holding above my head.

In answer, I tilted my blade so his scraped down the side and spun into him, attempting to slam the butt of my whip into his stomach. His other hand easily caught it and held as he swung his sword inward. I blocked it easily with my blade but there was no real pressure behind the blow. However, I saw the haze again and knew he had activated his god powers, but for what reason? This wasn't a fight quite yet; he wasn't giving off the vibes that we were even truly sparring.

"So, mortal," he stated as his chest was inches away from my back. I felt him lean down to where his hair was tickling my cheek and our faces inches apart. I was taken aback at what he was doing outside of the dream world, but I was too shocked to even say anything. "You think to compare me to Achilles?" The tone as bland as it was had me giggling softly and I relaxed, even though the blade was in front of me and he held one of my weapons.

"Well, I'm sure you're better," I replied easily, letting my tone fill with enough sarcasm and doubt for him to turn his head and look into my eyes. When he saw the mischievous and playful shine he actually smiled slightly. It was shocking to see how his face gentled and it almost made him seem boyish. On the other hand, I couldn't think of him as a boy. I could still sense the strength and power he kept leashed.

"I am, mortal, and you would do well to remember it." I couldn't help but to smile cheekily at him.

"Oh, I'm sure." I wasn't sure exactly what had come over either of us; we never had really flirted before and it was odd, but I found I was liking it. I knew nothing would come of it, of course, since Aphrodite was his lover. Instead of breaking it off like I thought he would, he slammed his sword into mine hard enough for me to take a step back and into his chest. He kept the pressure up so I couldn't move away and somehow, I didn't wish to. Damn the man for being interesting.

"Do you wish to find out, mortal?" Now that his lips were skimming my cheek for the first time I started to blush. He had always allowed me to touch him in the dreams. He had never tried to touch me in any sexual way before even if it was to play and it was disconcerting. "Blushing?"

"Aye," I replied. "I thought that point would be painfully obvious." I could feel the fluttering in my gut and the quickening in my heart.

"What's embarrassing about this?" he asked with a smirk. "You have obviously forsaken me because I fuck Aphrodite." If it was that easy, I would have, but he was very beautiful and masculine. There was no way I couldn't be attracted to him.

"It doesn't mean I'm not going to be embarrassed in this type of situation," I muttered.

I heard him chuckle darkly before the red haze around him flared to life. The whip was yanked out of my hands and thrown away right before the sword was knocked from my grasp. With inhuman speed I found myself against a wall that definitely hadn't been behind me before with Ares's hands on either side of my head. He was quick to take advantage of my shock and pressed his whole body against me as the red haze shimmered and died. Now my face was flaming with embarrassment as it never had been before.

But his body, pressed against mine, was heaven. My heart was pounding and my cheeks flushed at the position, but I found that this Ares was just as desirable from the dream Ares. The control I always had was spiraling away but somehow I didn't mind. His face was so close to mine and I wanted to look away yet I couldn't; his eyes were hypnotizing and simply mesmerizing.

"I've thought about this, mortal." Oh my.

"Thought about…what?" I managed to ask through the lump in my throat.

"You have an interest in me and we both know it." He leaned down to where his face was inches from my own. "You have defeated Achilles, mortal." I pressed myself as hard as I could against the marble wall but I couldn't escape the closeness. "When you learn to harness your god powers, you and I will explore this." I wanted to play dumb, but I couldn't. I knew exactly what he was going on about. It was insane how bad I was lusting after him in this moment, whereas before I could hold myself in check. But then again, he'd never tried to flirt with me in this way. I definitely wasn't used to this sexual advances from him and it was definitely more powerful than the man I'd had before. Even so, I couldn't give in.

"If I'm with a man," I murmured softly, "I will not share him. Even for you." Even if the pleasure begged me to lay with this man and explore the passion between us.

"Demands, mortal?" he asked with a smirk, still not moving away from me.

"No. Rules, Ares. Whoever I choose to sleep with, they will be mine and mine alone. Just as I will be only theirs. Anything less than that and I'll just be nothing but a slut. I won't demean myself like that."

"Who says you'll be demeaned by this? I'm a god, mortal. You can have nothing better than me." His lips grazed my cheek and I closed my eyes against the sensation. "Be honest Eveleen. You want me." He continued to lightly skim my cheek with his lips. "I can feel your desire, Eveleen." His fingers skimmed up the sides of my stomach. "You quiver underneath my touch."

"I want you," I admitted and my heart fluttered at his husky chuckle. "But I will choose not to have you. If it's pleasure I want, that's something I can take care of myself. I don't need a man for that. When I sleep with a man, it'll be because I want to express my feelings for him, not because I need to get off."

"Perhaps, mortal. And what if I swore to be yours and only yours?" The smirk on his lips was taunting and almost cruel in a way, and I knew he was toying with me. I grasped his chin gently and pulled him in front of my face, bolstering my courage as I did so. I would answer this honestly because I would give nothing less than the truth.

"I would give you everything, Ares." I knew he was taken aback; he couldn't hide the shock of my straightforward answer. "For the man I love, I would give it all. Maybe that's a mortal weakness to you gods, but this is what I believe and I'm not going to change it. Even if I want you on some crazy level."

"Conviction against a god is a rare thing, mortal." He pulled away and I was surprised at how strong the urge was to pull him back. However, he wasn't done with me. He placed both hands on the side of my head and I allowed myself to stay, wanting to hear what he had to say. "Most mortals would have fallen into my arms at any given moment. That shows strength. This sash wasn't given in error."

"I'm still not used to you complimenting me," I stated. "I keep waiting for your insult."

"Friends bolster one another, wasn't that right, mortal? We will be friends. You are a warrior now and I can be seen with you. It is not a hard thing to ask of me." At my look of complete bewilderment, he smiled, a full smile that only increased my shock. Dear god, he was letting down every impassive guard he had in place. This wasn't the god I knew. "But mortal, there is a price."

"Price?" I echoed, still trying to bring myself out of my stupor.

He grinned, a feral male grin that made my heart stop, shortly before taking me by the shoulders and yanking me into him. One hand held my head as the other anchored me to him and he quickly fastened his lips to my own. But the feel of this was nothing like I'd ever experienced. It was an explosion of need and want, and of content as I was given what I'd only thought about in the deepest part of my thoughts. His hands threaded through my hair and only after a few seconds, I responded. There was nothing else I could do. Fire arched between us and I knew; somehow I knew that Ares was not unaffected by this kiss. Both of us were unprepared for the intensity and need.

He pulled away first and I immediately looked away, unable to look him in the eye. I might break down and throw myself at him and I wanted to stick to my beliefs. "That was unexpected, mortal," he murmured after a moment.

"Aye," I agreed softly. He still held me in his arms and I made no move to leave his embrace.

"One day mortal, I will sleep with you. That is a vow from a god." A thrill swept through me. I was so weak against this! I would be a slut, I wouldn't! "It will not make you a slut," Ares stated harshly, so harshly that I brought my gaze back to him. He finally released me and stepped away, bringing himself back behind his guards once again. "Gaia waits for you." I was so confused, so lost on what exactly was happening, but I began to walk toward the door. "Eveleen." Hearing my name made me stop and turn and when I did, my heart stopped. "Eveleen, you were right."

"I was?" I asked, confused. What had I been right about?

"You will be only for me. I won't share you with anyone else." Another delicious thrill swept through me and I was sure I looked quite confused by that point, because Ares actually smiled. It was a full smile that brought a rugged sense of handsome instead of the lethal aura he usually had and it was more potent than anything I'd ever seen before. "I've ruined you for mortal men. You will not stray from me."

That was the statement that broke the sexual web he wove. It was my blood that had my chin flying up and my pride that had me glaring at him. This ridiculous attraction wasn't going to put me into this situation, no matter what.

"I'm no one's property, least of all yours. I may want you, but I will not put up with that asinine bullshit." Now Ares dissolved into laughter and it took my anger up another notch. "And I'll be with who I damn well please, you arrogant god." Satisfied at my flare of temper, I turned on my heel and stalked toward the door. Of course, he had to have the last word.

He whirled me and easily caught the punch I threw at him. I knew it was a worthless gesture, but it made me feel better regardless. "Keep that spirit, mortal." He dipped down for a brief kiss, a mere contact of lips, but I felt the shock all the way to my toes.

"You go to hell." He released me, smirking at my behavior.

"I go there often." Damn him, he had to get his warriors from somewhere. I would never win any argument with him, so I settled with a fulminating glare.

Knowing it did nothing but amuse him I retreated quickly and made sure to slam the door behind me. He may have already known I was angry, but I would make a point of this, dammit. Gaia was waiting for me, her eyes alight with amusement and her smile brilliant. However, I was not amused at the moment.

"Shut up," I snarled at her as I stalked off. She burst out into laughter and I growled low under my breath. Damn that man for throwing me off balance! And damn me for submitting oh so easily.

"Eveleen," I heard from beside me. "This isn't the end of the world. It was just a kiss." She was enjoying this too well and I glared.

"I don't care what it was, that doesn't give him the damn right to tell me what I'm going to do."

"This is the first time I've seen your temper," she replied easily. "It gives you fire." I growled under my breath again and quickened my pace. Beside me my patron god was laughing. "Oh, this I will savor, Eveleen. Once you get over your embarrassment and anger, you'll find your reaction funny too."

"Not in this lifetime," I shot back. How dare the man treat me like property? I would make my own choices, my own decisions, and he would have no say in what I wanted to do. Ugh! The nerve of him!

"You know he angered you on purpose."

"That just makes it worse. Getting me angry for his amusement? Am I just a toy to him?" I was growling through clenched teeth, each question getting me even angrier. Gaia just waved her hand and we appeared outside at our meadow where I trained with my god powers.

"That passion was unexpected for either of you," Gaia finally stated, the smile still never leaving her face. "You weren't the only one rocked, Eveleen. Remember that." How the devil did this woman know the exact thing to say to calm me down? "Now, Ares will be gone for around two weeks. By then, you will master how to draw efficiently on your power. No mortal has been able to do this before. Do you have the will?"

To prove to Ares I wasn't a spineless mortal that he could shove around? I'd do anything. "Yes."

"This will take the place of your warrior training and you will feel just as exhausted, if not more. I will push you to your absolute limit, Eveleen, and it will not be easy."

"Just make sure to carry me to my room afterwards."

"I think I can manage that. Now, reach for the strands." I threw out my power into the ground, energized with a goal to work toward. I would prove to that rat bastard that I was strong. I wasn't going to be his plaything.


	8. Training or Torture

_Oh my god, I haven't updated this story in ages. I really do apologize. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter and as always, lemme know what you think! I'm still looking for a beta as well, so if anyone feels up to it, I've got a bit of writing to send someone's way._

* * *

Why was it when you wanted to remember the days and keep them close, they seemed to pass the fastest? The three days seemed to fly by, each quicker than the last. Even Grace had spent some extra time with me training and soaking in Gaia's amazing baths. Achilles and Ajax had sat with me during dinners and attracted an amusing crowd of random attendants. And during training, Ares always watched me. Now that I knew of his attraction and declaration, it was like I was acutely attuned to his stare. I could feel the weight of it right between my shoulderblades.

Even so, Ares didn't come to me in my dreams. For the past three days it had been silent and simple dreams instead of the god I'd come to expect. I wasn't sure how to take the loss of his nightly visits but I would admit that a part of me did miss him. Without our nightly banters it was almost boring to dream whereas I looked forward to it normally. Was it because of what I had told him? Was it because of what he told me? I didn't know and wasn't going to ask. I may miss the god but I was still slightly irritated.

Ruined me for mortal men? My ass he did.

I growled as I made my way outside, the memory making the irritation stronger, but as I saw my friends outside I relaxed and smiled. They all stood together, looking out over the sea of red down at the gates of Olympus. Ares stood on the far side of the steps, his arms crossed as he watched his army carefully. My heart beat in my chest painfully, the image searing me when it shouldn't.

He was simply standing at the edge, but through his stance and aura, there was power and competence. He was dangerous, lethal, and very much in control of what was around him. His shirt rustled in the wind, caressing the hard muscles of his chest. His hair brushed against his face, the only thing moving as his eyes watched his army with confidence. His arms were crossed and a beautiful golden scabbard was strapped to his waist. His stance was solid, exuding confidence and authority. In this moment, he was pure power, all male, and making me painfully aware of what went on between a man and a woman. All I wanted was to go behind him and hold him, to bury my face into his shirt, and to never let him go. Gods, was I really this far gone?

"Eveleen!" With that, the spell was broken and I turned to see Grace a second before her arm descended over my shoulder. "You came to see us off!"

"Of course I did!" What kind of a friend would I be if I couldn't even say goodbye?" She ruffled my hair before hugging me and pressing her cheek against mine.

"Adorable. I'll miss you, you know. These other women are just bitches." I snorted at her.

"Just make sure to use your whip. I didn't teach you for nothing."

"Oh, I'll use it on Achilles later." I just threw my head back and laughed as Achilles turned from Ajax and smirked.

"Right idea, but I'll be the one using it." He winked at Grace and then joined us with Ajax at his side. "It pleases me that you've come to say goodbye to me," Achilles purred, causing my cheeks to flush. I crossed my arms and glared, though the effect was ruined by my embarrassment. "I'll have something to carry me through the long days without you."

"Shut up," I muttered lamely.

"Would you deny me that simple pleasure?" he asked again, taking the step toward me. "I ask only of the memory of you, dear Eveleen. Is that too much for a beauty such as yourself?" I couldn't hold his gaze and looked away with a 'humph'. Ajax began laughing.

"Pestering the wench before she leaves? Give the wench a break, Achilles, or it's going to be me she dreams about when we're gone." I buried my face in a hand as the blush worsened.

"If she dreams of anyone, it's going to be me, obviously," Grace spoke up, yanking me closer to her. Instead of embarrassing me, this made me laugh and relax a bit, only enough to peek through my hand.

"Do you know how long you're going to be gone?" I asked through the hand on my face.

"Nay," Grace answered. "Long enough to win the war, I suppose, but there's never a time for us to leave and be back." She squeezed my shoulder once. "But we'll be back before you know it."

"You need to. Who else is going to train me while you're gone?"

"Believe it or not, but Gaia is a fighter. She is fluid and quick, not like the bulky strength of these idiots. She'll teach you swordplay at least while we are gone," Grace replied.

"Fluid she is," Achilles said with a soft, reminiscent smile. However on him, it always reeked of something sexual and perhaps it was. "I fought against her once. She toyed with me until we both became serious. I don't know if there was a true winner that day." I blinked rapidly. Gaia, a fighter? She just seemed so dainty and motherly I couldn't imagine her slashing through an enemy with unfeeling eyes.

"Aye. I'll expect a fight from you when I'm gone, wench." With that Ajax came over and kissed me full on the lips, his hand holding my chin with surprising gentleness. When he pulled back and saw my blush, he smiled a true smile. "Lass, you'll have to realize this is the way a warrior treats a beautiful woman. You'll get used to it." Though Ajax didn't have the raw beauty of Achilles or Ares, he was handsome in his own way. I wasn't used to the freely given affection but like he said I needed to get used to it. Though…it was going to be slow going.

"Beautiful Eveleen, you would let him do that before me? Shameful." I saw Achilles step toward me and felt the urge to flee. His pure innate sexuality was lethal and never before had someone of his caliber done something to me. And then the through the fear, I saw Ares, his eyes watching us and straightened my shoulders. Ruined me for mortal men, did he? And as my anger skyrocketed, the fear abated under pure pride.

"Well, if I'm to get used to it, no time like the present." This time I stepped forward out of my comfort zone, into his personal space. I was the one who pressed my body against his, I was the one who threaded my hands through his hair, and I was the one to kiss him. At the caress of his tongue on my lip I allowed my lips to open and the kiss to depend. Pleasure spiraled and arched between us as he slanted his mouth over mine again and again as if to impress the kiss into my memory. The kiss was everything Achilles promised, full of delightful sin and delicious carnal desire. As we pulled away I had to look away but I had a smile on my face.

"Now that will carry me through the long nights. You are lethal, Eveleen." Now I smirked and looked at him, the instinctive female look.

"Nice of you to say so." I could feel the wind whip around us ferociously and looked toward Ares. I cocked a brow at him and slowly allowed myself to smirk in victory at him. Blatantly. Coyly. I gave him everything I was feeling at the moment without shame or fear.

Ruined me for mortal men. Asshole.

"We need to get going," Grace said with a smile, breaking the moment between Ares and I. She placed a chaste kiss on my cheek and pulled Ajax and Achilles away. Ares looked back to his army and again, I felt the need to go to his side. I swore under my breath and turned back to my friends who melted into the army beneath them.

"TO VALHALLA!" Someone cried out and the army let out a huge roar of approval, raising swords and spears into the air. I smiled at the sight. To me, it was their honor, their loyalty to a cause they believed in and I wished them luck.

"FORMATIONS!" The people below began to form into their formations and began to march away. Ares still stood, watching his army and I sighed. I was too nice, too much a friend when I shouldn't be. I stepped up to his side.

"Just come back, all right?"

"Missing me already, mortal?" The smug voice had my anger rearing and I growled once before turning.

"Fine." I stalked away from him. If he was going to throw the olive branch in my face, I wasn't going to let him. I may be shy about sexual things, but if nothing else I had my pride and I would keep that, no matter what. I would not beg for him, I would not demean myself for him. If that was the rules he was setting down, we would go back to being teacher and student. Arrogant asshole.

"You need to learn to keep your thoughts quieter, mortal." Sparks flew from my eyes as I whirled around.

"Then you know exactly where we stand." At my show of spirit he smirked and waved his hand. Around us the air turned misty and cut off eyesight to anything not within yards of me. I kept my ground and let my anger fuel my actions again.

"You would give away something of mine so freely, Eveleen? You would let them take a kiss without my permission?" I didn't know if he really meant to piss me off even more, but he definitely succeeded. I threw a punch and he easily caught it, twisting my arm and locking it where I couldn't get to him again. Instead of retatliating, he swooped down.

This time the kiss wasn't as gentle, but it was as mind shattering as the first. He was a full participant as he pulled my chin down and swept his tongue into my mouth. I couldn't help the groan that escaped as he pulled my body into his. I felt him smirk but at this point I was drowning in sensation and he made sure I couldn't surface. He pulled away, letting his lips skim from my lips to my ear, down my neck, to finally nibble on my shoulder. I couldn't help but pull him closer.

"I can tell no man has been with you before," he murmured. When I began to protest he bit my shoulder to shut me up. "He was a boy. I am a man, a god." He skimmed his way back up to my ear. "Perhaps this is why you're so embarrassed; you know what I am capable of."

"Oh shut up."

I grabbed both sides of his open vest and yanked him up and fastened my lips with his, giving him the equal ferocity of what he had given me. I would not be the only one affected by this passion between us. He would not forget me, not in the least bit. This time I let my hands roam freely as he was the one that tensed. And this time, I pulled away to smirk at him.

"Turnabout is fair play, great Ares." He smiled then, a full smile of amusement and pure sinful lust.

"You surprise me, Eveleen. That sash wasn't given in error." His reference to it made me smile and I finally released him, sensing the moment was over. I was definitely still feeling the kiss; my knees were weak and the pure thrill still flitted in my stomach like butterflies. Perhaps I was blushing, perhaps not. But goddamn could the man kiss to distraction. "I will only be gone two weeks. Why don't you make yourself useful and learn how to use your god powers."

"Why don't you make yourself useful by winning the war and coming back to train me?" He chuckled.

"Temper suits you wench." He waved his hand again and the mist began to dissipate. As the mist cleared the guards came back into place. I could see and feel him pulling away from me and no matter how I tried not to, the hurt still came. Stupid woman parts of me affected, ones that couldn't seem to untangle before I was hurt. "Train while I am gone, attendant. Make something of yourself."

"Go win the war, make a name for yourself."

I don't know how I mixed the sarcasm and disdain, but I felt like an ass for doing it. The walls had ears here in Olympus and things would be spread. Which led me to remember, he was currently Aphrodite's lover. Now I didn't have to fake the anger, though the anger was turned onto me. "Go on, now." He nodded once before turning and walking away. Instead of watching him like I wanted to do, I turned and let him walk away from me.

After a few moments I sighed and let the tension out of me. I had work to do and no time to dwell on Ares. I had training to do, pride to be replaced, and most of all, a name to make for myself.

"I'm ready, Gaia."

My name was Eveleen. And by the time I was done forcing myself to the next level, even Ares would say my name with pride.

* * *

Four goddamned days I'd sat here on the same pile of grass, doing the exact same things. Four days of Gaia turned Achilles. This was the stern side of the mother Gaia. Almost like a cat circling her prey, she watched me like a hawk as I slaved away on the strands. She would almost bark out the orders, showing no mercy to exhaustion or my frustration. When I exhausted myself she would force magic back into me and start the exercise all over again. Condensed training she called it. I called it condensed torture, but my pride would not let me say enough.

"Do you see the strands, Eveleen?"

"Yes."

"Pulse your magic." The strands gulped the magic greedily and I felt it flow away, down and down, deeper still until they passed from my vision. "Again." It seemed like that was always the next command. Again, again, again. I'd asked for this sure, but this was exhausting. You never know exactly what you're asking until you're smacked in the middle of working toward your goal. It's then you realize how lofty, how high you've set the bar.

"I feel it."

"Good. Now feed the strands magic. Slowly. Let them almost absorb it from your hands." I did as she bade, feeling the now familiar heartbeat.

The ebb and flow, the thrum, the absolute rhythm of the magic as it flowed through from the heart to the fingertips.

"Eveleen?"

The steady flow, the symphony of the beat, the caressing as it flowed to the fingers. The steady beat as it pulsed, farther and farther, and I felt myself following further and further, stretching myself with each pulse.

It was at this nonessential moment, this peaceful time of merely listening and feeling, that the greatest epiphany of my life came to me. I knew, I just _knew_ at this moment exactly what I had been doing wrong. I was no longer human. At this exact moment of connection I was simply power. I was a living, breathing organism, a part of a whole, the lifesource of these strands. This simple moment in time, I let myself fly free and became the flow of life. It was as if a second set of eyes opened inside of me and I began to truly see the strands for the beauty that they were.

These strands were woven fabrics of brilliant light. Around me I could see the strands wrapping around me, forming the grass, the earth beneath, the trees. I could see it everything in a white pulsing light as energy flowed from every strand. I could see without having my eyes open in another way, a beautiful way. But the most brilliant part of all was Gaia herself. She had her own ebb and flow, her own heartbeat. Different from my own but the same. With a hand I reached out for her, and she clasped my hands with her own.

Sensation exploded around me, my conscious bursting, brimming as I took in more than I could have ever hoped to see. It was swirling and intoxicating but so much to see, so much to feel. Through Gaia I felt the entire earth. Right at this moment I could just manipulate the crops in China by manipulating this one strand. I could cause a forest to grow by moving to the strand on inch from my hand. With the other hand I could find the desert in Africa, make it bloom into a vivacious jungle, as beautiful as humans could possibly imagine. And each strand all came back to somehow rest within Gaia. Now I truly saw her as a god, something to be worshiped and praised, because she was literally the mother of the earth.

"Now you truly see." Gaia's voice echoed around me, through earth, vibrating through each and every strand as her power flared around us. She was the true being of light, the true power of the strands. She was bright and beautiful, a woven creation of strands that personified perfection. "You have seen what it truly means to be tied to the earth. This is your true responsibility. This is what I am and forever will be tied to. This is why I am Earth Mother Gaia." Nothing like this could ever compare to the pure sensations of just seeing the earth for what it truly was. "Once you realize you are nothing, Eveleen, that is when you truly become everything."

With that, my power exhausted and I was slammed back into my own consciousness. I felt constricted in my body, as if I couldn't breathe. I gasped for air and held my chest as my body twitched in agony. I wasn't meant to be here, I needed to be back in the strands. Exhaustion kicked in and I found that I couldn't even manage to move at this moment. Yet even still I reached for them, reached for the earth once more to connect and to feel, to see, to experience. Gaia grasped my hand and pulled it away, holding it between her own hands.

"Sh, Eveleen. Give yourself a moment to adjust. You reached the end of your magical energy." Gaia smoothed the hair back from my forehead and let me lie there. She would give me energy in a moment, but she told me that the more I pushed my limits, the quicker I would gain power. "The ability to truly see is a powerful thing, Eveleen. It is seductive of power and I have had attendants lose themselves in the strands, never wanting to return. It is power in its purest form. For a god it has no sway, but for a mortal, it calls to them. Would you rather live in the strands, Eveleen, or live in your body? Would you give up your life, never to know another, never to meet another, only to live in the power of the strands?"

"Nay." I felt more comfortable in my body, relaxing in small degrees. She was right about the power being seductive, almost like a high you crave over again. However I had no wish to leave the friends I had made. I had a chance to live on Olympus and see wonders that I could never see if I lived in the strands. "I want to stay with you, Gaia. I promised you servitude, didn't I?" Her laughter was a caress in the lack of truly seeing.

"My attendants have named this their second sight. With this you will truly be able to move on in your training, but for now, we rest. Let the high wear off and let you truly come back to your senses. Only then will you be guarded enough to return to the strands." I nodded. She did make sense with that, no matter how much I fought to stay, perhaps I would fly free in the spur of the moment. "As we rest, I have news for you. Kerys will be allowed to come back to you in a few days. From what I hear the negotiations go well and she will be allowed free reign of Olympus."

"That's great. I want to show her what I've learned so far."

"And you will in time. Right now you must focus on honing your new powers. You are still very weak, Eveleen, so you must use your powers in the right way. Like when you moved the tile with Achilles. That was a smart utilization of your powers, but it did not take much from you to do so." I should be surprised she knew about that, but I honestly wasn't surprised at anything Gaia knew by this point. "Now I can teach you how to manipulate the strands. What constitutes too much and too little? How will affecting one strand affect the rest of the earth?"

"How will I know?"

"You must feel." She began to pour her energy into me and I could feel the weariness dissipating and the soreness of my muscles finally fade. "Do you see that tree over there?" I turned to look and saw a tree sprouting from the ground as if time were on fast forward. Leaves grew and twigs lengthened to branches all the span of seconds.

"Aye," I murmured in awe.

"Now _see_."

I felt Gaia's power in me and let my hand reach into the earth, my conscious easily breaking away into the strands once again. The absolute power and thrum beat as a drum inside of me, through me, and past me into the strands reaching far beneath the earth. But the tree was absolutely breathtaking. It glowed with power, bright and vibrant green as it shimmered into existence. The strands folded themselves and wove themselves into the trunk and braches, sprouting from the ground to coalesce into the plant before me.

"It's so beautiful."

"This is the power you wield. You can see the strands and feel them. Reach for the tree Eveleen. Find the strands that connect to the tree."

I was hypnotized by the shimmering green and tried to follow the strands, but each led me away from what I desperately wanted to see. I tried harder, focusing on more strands and letting my consciousness pulse through them, only to find the wrong paths each time. In aggravation I growled and narrowed my eyes.

"_I will see you_." The voice that came from my mouth was not my own. It was full of power, a whip of command. It was a mix of sultry and husky, something that comes from the mouth of power personified. This was a gods voice. Around me the strands shivered in response.

To my surprise the strands around my fingertips flared once before reaching out, growing towards the tree. They hooked into other strands, wove through others, but finally attached themselves to the roots of the tree that was still ever growing. I smiled in victory and knew instinctively what to do. I pulsed my consciousness into the tree.

As my consciousness hit the growing tree, I was slammed with sensation and moaned low in my throat. The power was divine and intoxicating. It spread over my consciousness like a wave and leaving my body tingling with the force of it. It wrapped around me, accepting me as part of the tree, before shooting up and through the strands to create more strands. It rushed past me and through me, and it was me.

"_I understand_," the gods voice murmured again. "_I am the power and the power is me. The earth is conscious_."

"Yes," Gai replied, her hands still on the shoulders of the body I'd left behind. The strands quivered with the power of her voice, much like they had with mine earlier. "Once you connect with the strands, you give yourself to the power. You hold your own in your body, but the earth is magic as well. I am not giving my power to the tree to grow. I am guiding the earth's power to grow the tree with my own power."

I was yanked back into my body suddenly and the ache of the strands slammed into me again. However I didn't reach for the earth this time; I was more prepared for the loss of self this time around. I lay on the ground panting and trying to catch my breath, but Gaia was there to force more of her magic into me.

"You can only connect to the strands by physical means, Eveleen, and instead of finding the strands, you moved them. However, that displays a rare aptitude for the power. To be able to move them is a challenge. You have commanded the strands in only four days. You have discovered the true nature of your power and that of the earth. You have surpassed most of my attendants, personal or not. That is an achievement to be proud of." Easily she pumped magic into me until it swirled inside, beating with the time of my heart. Once that was done, she stood and watched the tree, which had stopped growing.

"I am, Gaia." My voice was my own this time, but I heard the strength and the assurance that came from confidence. It was a change. Yet I felt a twinge of sadness, but it was easily ignored. I would get the chance to hear the god voice again soon enough.

"But you strive for more, Eveleen. You are not just my attendant, you serve Ares as well. You must now learn how to fight with your power. You will have to learn how to mentally call for the strands and to be able to turn on your second sight without the strands connecting to you. You will have to be able to command the earth with a single thought, to have it an extension of you. Not many are able to do this. I will not be able to go easy on you." She turned back to me. "I sense greatness in you Eveleen. If you wish it, you will be able to become powerful. It will not be easy and you will not learn everything in these two weeks that Ares is gone. But you will be a powerful attendant. This pain you feel will be worth it."

"I know," I replied with a smile. I felt the rush of victory and the pride at what I was able to do. I had been able to touch the strands and even move them in as little as four days. I was surviving this condensed training and I was going to continue to do so. My pride demanded it. "As much as I complained, I like it this way."

"Not to complain is an insult to my teaching methods," she replied primly, her deadpan expression causing me to laugh. "Now, Eveleen." My laughter sobered and I watched her from my seat on the grassy field. "Are you ready to continue?"

My body ached from having the magic drained and forced back into it. My muscles cried out whenever they moved or twitched. My head ached from the intense focus I was forcing on myself. My mind shuddered at the thought of the pure sensation of the power and the strands. It craved it but feared it.

But my heart was leaping with joy and pride. The smile on my face was broad and full of happiness.

"Absolutely." My voice was calm and confident. I was ready.

* * *

"Gaia, this is ridiculous."

"No, it is quite practical. Is it not, Giles?"

"Indeed, Earth Mother."

The seventh day found me in another grassy field, this time with Giles to accompany us. I hadn't seen him in quite a few days but when he heard of the challenge I had taken on, he immediately had volunteered to help. I was thankful.

"Each of these seeds is a different plant. You will have to use different degrees of power for each," Giles explained as he showed me each seed in the palm of his aging hand. "Each will respond to different strands as well. Allow your mind to open and to react to each seed. Feel the rightness or wrongness of power of each seed as you experiment with it."

This of course was his idea. Gaia was giving me brawn and practicality, but Giles had deemed himself my information tutor. Each day he brought a new book and taught me a new lesson on various plants or climates, each pertaining to what I could use or not use depending on the situation. It was mundane and hard to keep myself interested in the pure technicality of the plants which is why he brought up the idea of a hands on teaching style.

It was much more suited to my tastes and extremely appreciated.

"Go slowly with this. Don't think so much on the technicalities," Gaia commanded. It was on the fifth day I had learned how to mentally call for the strands and the sixth that I could maintain a connection and move them. I hadn't fully grasped the concept of finding the right strands but moving them was becoming easier with each use. It was a start.

Giles pushed the seeds into the earth and I let my eyes shut, exhaling as I reached down into the power thrumming through me. I opened my eyes slowly as I adjusted to the second sight of the strands. I saw each seed as a tight, dense mass of strands waiting to be released. They wiggled and writhed inside of their shell as if searching for a way out.

I pushed my fingers into the earth and the strands greedily attached themselves to them, quivering as I pulsed my power into them. Easily I slipped into the hypnotic state, allowing my conscious to flow through the strands. My mind was more open and I tested more strands than I could mere days ago with each pulse. After a minute of searching, I finally found the strand that connected the seeds and sped into the cluster, finding myself at the seed.

"It's a bean sprout," I murmured.

"Yes," Giles agreed.

I let myself wrap around the shell of the seed and felt a sort of motherly amusement as the strands intensified their movement at my presence. Watching and feeling, I let my power absorb into the strands as a trickle. They began to weave in a thick rope outwards. It was greedily consumed as the seed began to sprout, but very shortly the seed stopped growing. I pumped twice as much as I had and it exploded in a flurry of movement, the strands going everywhere but the top of the soil. I stopped the flow of energy and the strands stopped their movements.

Without waiting for instructions, I began again. This time I gave them a stream of energy, telling them with my conscious to grow towards the surface. To my surprise the strands eagerly complied, stopping their burst outward and reaching for the surface. I relaxed and let my consciousness flow in the strands, reveling in the sensation as the strands began to glow the shimmering green of power. I let myself stay in the roots, observing as the plant slowly bloomed into existence, not giving it too much but not enough to make it grow as fast as Gaia's tree from before. I felt the earth's power flow through me and form in the direction my consciousness gave it. It was exhilarating.

"_Bloom_," I commanded with the voice of power, letting myself see through the second sight of my body and the consciousness inside of the strands. I saw the plant sprout with the eyes above ground and saw the power grow within it as it's life strengthened. The power kissed my conscious as it flowed through me and eagerly complied with my demands.

"Good, Eveleen. The next one, if you please." The seed was only half grown, but I had the hang of it now.

I reached for the next one, surprised when I found it was a potato seed, and gave the same trickle of energy I had with the bean. Nothing happened. The strands inside still wiggled in their bid for freedom, but they did not grow. I hesitated then doubled the amount, feeling triumph when the strands snuck out from the seed and began to grow upwards. This seed needed more mental persuasion than the bean did. It was a hardy, almost stubborn seed, and needed to be firmly commanded. I had to fight to get it to grow, but once it did, it seemed easier to feed it energy.

"And the last one."

I flitted across the small space to the last seed, amazed at the strands inside. Instead of weaving around each other like ropes they kept their distance apart. It was as if each was independent and needed no help from the others. It was strange. When I gave them the flood of power I had for the potato, they exploded and I immediately calmed the output automatically. Each part of the seed had its own mind, it seemed, and was mentally exhausting to try to coax each one to the surface.

"This is some sort of vine, isn't it?" I asked.

"They are. Grow them to the full extent," Gaia replied.

I pushed them to the surface and found the right wavelength of power output easily, seeing with my second sight as they burst forth and blossomed into a huge net of thorny vines, much like they had inside of the seed. I let the power flow until somehow I just knew this was the stopping point and I pulled back into my body before my power gave out.

"Now, Eveleen, thorns can be a deadly weapon in the hands of someone like me." Gaia gestured and the thorns lashed out around them, scouring the earth and whipping the air around them mercilessly. "I can explode these from the ground and grab someone's ankle. I can yank them from behind and get them off balance. I can grab your arm as you go to strike. There are many ways to use the vines."

"Quite right, Gaia," Giles murmured.

"Let go of the earth, Eveleen. I want you to command one of them with your mind."

I felt the power still thrumming through me as I stood and looked at the plant with the second sight. I lifted my hand and called for one to gently touch my palm. It was difficult attuning to the strands inside of the plant and took me longer than I liked to get it to even twitch.

"You are thinking too much on commanding the strands," Gaia explained patiently. "Connect to the earth and command the power of the earth to move the strands. Reaching for the strands themselves is too high level for you at this moment."

I let my hand drop down and pushed out my power to the ground, loving the way the power beneath the soil leapt at my own display. I did it a few more times before I felt the connection with the earth once again and smiled at the sensation. The experience was like nothing else.

"Relax. Listen to the power in your veins."

The heartbeat of the magic already pounded in my ears, a soothing symphony that kept me grounded to the earth's power beneath my feet. I let it lull me into a medative state and lifted my hand toward the vine bush again, calling for it. The earth swirled beneath me but didn't go to where I commanded it. Frowning, I pushed it again and it circled around my feet before stopping in the strands once more. I felt the irritation flow through me and forced myself to calm.

I had to relax. I had to feel this. I could do this. Relax. Breathe. Listen. Feel the ebb and flow. Feel the power beat. Let it thrum around you and into the earth. Relax. Breathe. Listen. Let it meld with the circling power underneath me. I felt the power in my heat and work its way downward until it came to my feet. Then it poured into the soil beneath me, flaring out around me and reaching for the earth's consciousness.

I knew the exact moment my powers merged in the earth because of the instant connection with the strands once more. I felt as if my consciousness was gone but this time I was here in my own body. I forced myself to remain relaxed at the split sensation.

"_Come here, thorn_."

The power flared from the strands at my feet and burst through so many strands that my rational mind could not comprehend them all. However this power portion of my mind knew exactly where the power was and where it had went, identifying everything. It hurt to have the knowledge of so much forced into the brain and quite frankly it hurt like a bitch. I forced myself to relax as the vine in front of me began to sway side to side. It seemed alive in the moment where it writhed its way to my mind, playing the tip of the plant on the very inside of my palm.

"_The earth's conscious is here_," I finally spoke as it continued to hold the touch. "_This plant has a mind of its own_."

"Yes," Gaia answered. "You have created it and molded it, but in the end the plant is of the earth and the earth is where its power lays. You can only control the earth to control the plant. Understand?"

"Aye."

I turned my palm and stepped forward, surprised when the connection did not break with the movement of my feet. The plant gently wrapped itself around my wrist as I walked toward it. I could see the plant's strands, I could interact with them to a point, but it was the earth that was the conduit between the plant and myself. Without the earth, I would not be able to command this vine or anything around it.

"We will practice this more tomorrow," Giles stated. "I want you to be able to command it subconsciously. That takes much practice." At that it was like a switch was thrown and I was slammed back into my body, the second sight fading as if it had never been. The plant dropped from my wrist as if a string holding it up had been severed.

"To control plants like this is a basic tool that every attendant of mine must know," Gaia stated. "You were too slow in merging with the earth and calling the plant to you. But for your first time, you did well." She looked up to the darkening sky. "Let us go back to your room and I will heal you. Giles, let's go."

She snapped her fingers and we blinked out of the darkening field.

* * *

Seven days had passed and I had grown strong. We hadn't trained much with weapons, but the stamina I was getting from the attendant training was more than compensating for the lack of attention on the weapons training. It was seven long days of nothing but eating, sleeping, and training. Seven days of marathon torture and fatigue, my body weary at the intensity of what I was choosing to do.

It had also been seven days without Ares.

Whether he ruined me or not, as I lay down on the bed and drifted to sleep, a deep dark part of my heart wished that I could dream of him again. Wished to hear him banter and play with me. Wished to hear his voice. Wished to selfishly have him in my dreams.

"_You call for me Eveleen, so you shall have me."_


	9. Deliverance

_Okay, for this chapter I'm doing a little mixing and matching. The Oneiroi are the gods of dreams, but some poets argue who they descended from. I'm going to make them as sons of Gaia that Euripides claims them to be. Just ties it in with the story better. Others say they are born from Hypnos and Erebus, or even Nyx._

_For all of you that reviewed or reviewed anonymously, thank you so much. I do read every comment and each one makes me smile. I love hearing from my readers even if I can't reply back, so thank you for taking the time to review. It really does make my day!_

_Also, this chapter is the first part of why this story is rated M. So read with caution :3_

* * *

My heart beat loudly against my chest as _his_ voice flooded my senses. Apparently seven days was longer than I thought it was, because I actually missed the husky tone. It brought out something in me that had me relaxing my shoulders and smiling softly. It was warmth. It was familiarity. After the grueling training of hell that I'd been suffering through, the voice was almost a balm to my frayed mind.

"Ares," I murmured. I meant for my voice to be cool and cultured, even composed. Instead it came out a whisper of sound; a mixture of relief and warmth I wasn't ready to name.

I heard his throaty chuckle first and opened my eyes. It was pure darkness around me but I wasn't afraid. My instincts told me that Ares wasn't here to scare me or to hurt me.

"Seven days is all it took for you to call me. Only seven."

Okay, I lied. I hadn't missed him at all, the fucking jerk. No, the arrogant little shit. No! The rat bastard!

"Go to hell!" I yelled into the inky blackness. I felt the anger first and my magic reacted, pulsing hotly as my heart raced. I felt his amusement and it only served to fuel my temper.

"Seven days is a long time for a mortal." I felt the lips brush against my right ear, the words soft like a lover's caress. I could sense his body inches from mine and knew that he was standing behind me. The only contact he allowed was the brushing of his lips against my ear and that was enough to make me shiver.

"That'd better be an apology," I growled out, ready to yank myself away from him. He must have sensed this because the lips nibbled on my earlobe.

"I feel your exhaustion, mortal." Hands barely brushed against the top of my arms but it was enough. That was his version of an apology.

"Maybe," I allowed. I wasn't weak and I wasn't going to let him see me as such.

"Your pride is misplaced." The lips moved away from my ear and I more or less felt him draw back a bit. "If you had been at full strength, I would have been disappointed. Instead I know you have been training." With that statement, the fight and anger drained out of me. Damn me, he was right.

I smiled at the compliment but blinked, wondering what I was supposed to do. I could converse with him as a woman with her man. I could talk with him as a warrior to his master. Or I could speak with him as an attendant to a god. Which was the role I should assume this time?

"Speak what you will." The command was blunt and to the point and I smirked. He was in a good mood. Then again, he'd spent seven days fighting. The god of war was literally in a war. Of course he'd be in a good mood. War. Duh.

"The training is difficult," I finally stated, wondering why he wished to only talk about me.

"It is how training is supposed to be. You know this by now." At my silence he sighed. "Mortal, what is it?"

"I don't want to bitch about my problems." He chuckled.

"You are not if I ask about them. You serve me as well, mortal, in case you have forgotten in my absence. I always ask of my warriors." Curious about this new tangent, I turned slightly in the darkness. It was useless to see, but more of the fact that I wanted my eyes in his general direction. I just knew he could see, even if I couldn't.

"You look after your warriors? I thought you picked them because they're capable and self-sufficient." I could just _feel_ the smirk he was throwing at me. A disturbance in the force if you will, but I could sense it all the same.

"They are. A good commander checks on the welfare of his men."

"Somehow I doubt if you talk to Achilles about feelings, Ares. You don't strike me as the Dr. Phil of the Greek pantheon." I heard his scoff and smiled.

"Not about feelings, you brainless mortal." My smile broadened at the grievance in his tone. "I see to their training and their physical state. I make sure they are still aspiring and working towards a greater pinnacle. My attendants will never stagnate. So I ask you of your training and the state you are in. You are exhausted. Mentally. Physically. A soldier is useless as you are now."

"But I'm not an attendant or soldier, great Ares," I teased.

"But you wear my sash, Eveleen." The way my name rolled from his lips had a blush staining my cheeks. "You belong to me," he stated easily. Lips brushed against the corner of my mouth before quickly disappearing.

"Like hell," I responded with a bit of anger and playfulness. His earlier comment of 'ruining me for mortal men' was still irritating, but I was willing to overlook this for the fact that he was here checking up on my welfare. I would admit it pleased me that he would ask about me, even if I was the one to unwittingly call out to him.

"Now speak of your training, mortal."

"First, I'd like to be able to see."

"You want to see me?" he asked, his voice a sensual purr. I was used to Achilles using this voice, but not Ares. It sent shivers down my spine, oh so delicious shivers. This was dangerous territory.

"I want to see. I don't like being without sight," I answered honestly, deflecting the sensual atmosphere.

"As you wish."

Light brightened around me and I blinked at the rapid change as my eyes attempted to focus. When I was able to see without the light burning my sensitive eyes, I noticed we weren't anywhere I'd seen before. The air was cold and crisp, nearly biting in the intensity of the lower temperature. Spots of snow dotted the ground around us. I noticed that I was standing next to a cliff and I moved away from it quickly, much to Ares' amusement.

"You will not fall. Come." Ares stood at the cliff face but his eyes were trained below him. I was struck by the sight of him much as I was when he had left for Valhalla originally. This man was power personified. He was male. Dangerous. Alluring. I was drawn like a moth to a flame and I knew I was going to get burned in the end, but no matter how I looked at it or spun the tale, I was attracted to him.

And why not? He said it himself. He was a god. The pinnacle of everything. I wasn't immune to him; I was only mortal after all.

I walked beside of him and shivered at the wind that burst from the cliff face. Immediately I felt a warmth around my shoulders and looked to find a blood red cape draped over me, pooling onto the ground below me.

"Thanks," I murmured, knowing he wouldn't answer me.

"Now. Your training?"

I thought to try to find the exact words I could use, but nothing popped up. I settled for the only thing I could say. "It sucks." Eloquence. I could always rely on myself for eloquence. The corner of his mouth turned partially into the trademark smirk, but he refrained from saying something condescending. I'm sure it hurt him to do so. "Gaia trains me every day. We haven't done much in weapons training though." Ares waved a hand in dismissal.

"That can be remedied later." His flippancy over the subject of weapons had me laughing. The god of war not interested in weapons training and letting it slide that I wasn't training in weapons? "Your god powers come before weapons," he answered, his tone annoyed as he accurately guessed my thoughts. "With it you will gain stamina. That is essential in battle as well." My laughter died and I nodded at him once.

"She's a hard teacher. I haven't really had a break other than to eat or sleep."

"What have you learned, mortal?" I opened my mouth to answer, but shut it and nibbled my lip. I wanted to tell him, I truly did, but a part of me wanted to keep it hidden. "What?" I looked at him and was surprised to see him truly looking at me for the first time since my sight had been restored. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair in aggravation. "I have commanded you to speak, Eveleen."

"I don't want to tell you," I mumbled. "I want to show you when you return." It was stupid. This urge to surprise him was idiotic and just _female_ at best, not a warrior trait at all. It was asinine and foolish and brainless all into one and –

"Cease, mortal." I blinked in confusion, but glared when I realized why he'd spoken. Right, the mind reading thing. I _hated_ how he could do that. "It is common for warriors to want to show their skills instead of talking about them. You are right. I would rather gauge your abilities for myself when I return." He turned away to look below him and I followed his gaze only to find a sea of red below us. It was massive, spreading out as far as the eye can see.

"Your army."

"Magnificent is it not?"

"Aye." And it was. Ares commanded legions of soldiers and each had to have prowess as a warrior to catch the eye of the god of war. Here they all were, a sea of death and destruction, ready to fight and conquer. It was a powerful sight. "This is what battle is," I breathed.

"No, it is not." I turned to the god to have him watching me. "This army is only the beginning. War is so much more than this." I couldn't explain it, but in that moment he seemed open. The most unguarded I had ever seen Ares, actually, and perhaps even more so than Dream Ares. He wanted to make me understand.

"What is it like?" I asked, unashamed that I didn't know. Both he and I knew that I had never seen war and to pretend I had was just an insult to both of us. This was one thing he would never look down on me for. Ares looked at me, truly looked at me, sizing me up for something. When he was done he showed no expression, but his eyes never left mine.

"I will show you my memories, Eveleen. This is what it means to serve the god of war. This is battle." He stepped close to me and pulled me against him. Almost tenderly – I couldn't really relate the word to Ares – he brushed my hair back from my face and looked deep into my eyes. I felt the exact moment his powers flared and entered me and I twitched at the sensation.

The world blurred around me, contorting as colors swirled into a different scene. Instead of standing in the circle of Ares' arms, I was in the middle of a full out battle; literally in the middle of warriors out of the kill. Before I could register danger, a sword was hurtling toward me. I flinched for the deathblow. Instead the sword passed through me as if I were water, withdrawn, then sliced at another opponent.

Bellows and war cries were around me. I heard the clashing of steel, the sound of swords slamming on shields, I heard it all. I heard the cries of pain and of triumph. I saw the battle lust in the eyes of the warriors around me and even a thrill of battle. Here there was no fear. There was no regret or remorse as a warrior was slain. A comrade died beside another and the blades never hesitated between attacks.

I was no stranger to spars and fights. I was no stranger to blood and wounds. But here in the midst of battle with only a blood red cloak to cover me, I was lost. I was scared. I was shaking in terror of the thought of fighting in something such as this. I wanted nothing to do with Ares, I couldn't do this, I couldn't. I'd gotten into something so far over my head I wasn't sure how to get out, but I knew I needed to run from this carnage, from this chaos of blood and death. The panic swamped my senses and in this moment I was terrified of what I would eventually have to do, I was terrified of the god of this slaughter, I was terrified of battle. I was shaking and quivering and I could not tear my eyes away from the battle that raged around me.

Then I saw him. He was a blur of blood red and yellow, his sword stained with the blood of enemies. His ferocity was astounding, his lack of fear obvious. When he cut down an opponent a small grin was on his face. He exulted in battle and the red haze surrounded him as he cut down enemy after enemy. He was terrifying but beautiful.

Achilles was magnificent.

For a brief moment he had no enemies to fight and he lifted his bloodied blade into the air, uncaring that droplets landed on his face or arms or that the rivulets of blood began to slide down his hand. His triumphant, challenging cry was loud and long and around him cries of Ares' armies echoed.

In that moment I understood.

He was proud of the enemies he killed in battle. He was proud to lead, proud of his strength, and he was ready to fight for Ares. Enemies surrounded him at his cry but he was ready for them and leapt, the haze thickening around him as he drew more of his god powers. With each stroke of his blade my fear lessened. This wasn't about dying or killing or even chaos. It was honor. It was glory. It was pride. I could understand this, not the senseless slaughter of earlier.

A Norse came from his left and was about to strike Achilles' unprotected side, but suddenly a golden arrow slammed into his neck. He fell to his knees in shock and I turned to see a man with a golden bow a very long distance away. I gaped at him. He made that shot through the chaos of battle, through swords, spears, axes, bodies, everything, to hit a one inch gap on his neck. It was such an extraordinary shot and the second I had spotted him, people began to block my view as they fought. In that split second, he made that shot to help Achilles. Just god damn.

I turned back to the battle to see a huge golden shield slamming into one of Achilles' attackers. When the shield moved, I saw a bear pelt on his head first, then another familiar face. It was Ajax who slammed another man and I watched in awe as he flew through two more Norsemen before landing in a heap along with them. Ajax laughed at the sight and turned to fight with Achilles, using his spear deftly to stab in their open sides and his shield to smash those who got too close.

They fought together, the haze around each of them, in a deadly but beautiful dance. Achilles was nimble and quick, his strokes quick and efficient. Ajax slung his shield with brute force and his spear thrust through enemies so hard it appeared through their opposite side. Achilles used Ajax's strength to fell many enemies and dart inside their guard when they least expected it. Ajax was used to having the focus on him and it was probably why he carried the huge golden shield with him. They were warriors in their own right; each of them were strong, fast, and deadly. But together, they were unstoppable.

These two were more than friends. They were comrades in battle, they were brothers in arms, they were the one who had one another's back. It was absolute trust in the chaos of battle. The closeness they always had shown whenever they had trained me had to come from this. I understood now, more than I ever had before.

Achilles and Ajax leapt away suddenly and I was startled from my thoughts as I watched them sail away. A split second later lightning slammed into the ground and I scrambled away as well. Never mind if I was corporeal at the moment, I was taking no chances.

When the lightning cleared I was amazed when I saw a man standing in the blackened crater of the strike. My jaw dropped. How the hell was he able to withstand that?

"What?" I asked as the cape slid from my numb hands to pool at my feet. The man turned to look at me, and the look was like a physical blow to the gut. The sounds of battle dimmed around us as if it was fading into the background. Perhaps it was.

His eyes were a piercing blue and intense as they seemed to lock onto my own. His blond hair cascaded over his shoulders and spilled onto the gleaming armor below. The armor was well crafted and plated, almost a silver hue. A blood red cape draped behind him. His face was all angles but it was rugged, manly. His lips pulled back in a smile and I noticed that his lips were firm and his teeth white, and a bit of blond stubble adorned his chin. I yanked my gaze back up to the piercing blue eyes, which hadn't left me yet.

"You have no place here, mortal."

"You can see me?" I asked in awe. He grinned boyishly and it was devastating. I couldn't think as I absorbed the absolute beauty of the man in front of me.

"You are no soldier. Go home." It was the condescending tone that had my shoulders straightening and the familiar pride fueling my temper.

"You're right, I'm not a soldier yet." I flipped my hair over my hair and sent him a haughty glare, a symptom of too much time with Grace. "But I damn well will be."

He laughed long and hard and the sounds of battle swarmed us again, but he just grinned at me and lifted his hand into the air. A silver hammer flew towards him and as he caught it, a crack of thunder boomed across the battlefield. He said nothing else as he leapt forward, swinging his hammer into the skull of one of Ares' attendants. Around him the air crackled with energy and I realized he was somehow manipulating the lightning. This meant he had to be at least a high ranking attendant. But that was unlikely.

He had to be a god to be able to see me and wield the amount of power he did. Perhaps it was Odin, maybe it was someone else. But I was probably lucky I'd amused him and that he'd chosen the battle over continuing to speak with me. Ares was enough of an enigma and enough stress on trying to figure out. I didn't need another god to attempt to befriend.

I more or less heard a lull in battle around me and I looked to the blond haired man/god or whatever he was, only to see Ares standing in front of him, a smirk on his dark features.

"Ares! Finally you appear. I was beginning to think that you would let your army do all the fighting for you."

I looked between both men, moving to get a better view of them. I shuddered as I moved through men and deadly blades. I wasn't used to this ghost thing. However I wanted to see the blond and Ares. The warrior part of me knew this was going to be a fight.

Of course, I might be a warrior in training, but I was most definitely female. I eyed the two men as I got close, marveling in their perfect beauty. Ares was dark and handsome. He was mysterious and lethal, a wild cat stalking its prey right before it leaps for the kill. The blond was relaxed but beautiful in an angelic sense. He was bright and vibrant, a direct contrast to Ares. He was approachable and affable, but behind that grin there was power. There was confidence without the sharp arrogance of Ares.

"Maybe you have forgotten our last battle, Thor, but I assure you I haven't." It wasn't a veiled challenge, it was direct and was definitely Ares' style. This meant Thor had to be a god. Ares wouldn't play with anything less.

"A fluke, oh great Ares. Care to go against Mjölnir one more time?" he asked as he lifted his hammer. That had to be Mjölnir.

Thor was playful in his taunt, but not as intense. It seemed like he was challenging Ares to a bar game or something jovial and unimportant, not a fight to the death. However, I could feel the energy build and felt the hair on my arms and neck stand from the pressure. Thor was serious. His tone may have been light but the killing intent was there.

Thor struck first, lightning slamming down where Ares stood. Ares was in motion before the lightning even struck, his sword drawn as he sliced at Thor's side. It was easily deflected by Thor. Quickly the battle ramped up, their speed increasing with the attacks of their weapons, until it stopped at a level far above my own abilities. If I had thought Achilles was amazing before, I had been mistaken. This was beautiful. As the two men fought I felt my heart thump painfully at the sheer perfection of the battle. The perfect slice from Ares, the perfect block and twist from Thor. Every stroke was where it should have been, the right strength and speed behind it.

With a wild laugh Thor slammed Mjölnir into the ground and a loud crack of thunder was the only warning before the earth buckled and blew away from the slam. Around me soldiers were either blown away or leapt away, giving the two perfect warriors a spot to battle. Ares smirked at the display and the red haze appeared right before he attacked with his sword. But this time, it was different. The very air howled around his strikes, whipping into Thor with a ferocity that cut into the cape he wore. His armor unaffected, Thor laughed in delight as Mjölnir began to glow a neon blue and small sparks crackled around the weapon. It slammed into Ares' sword and lightning arced and crashed around them as the very air screamed and howled. The earth shook with the force of their attacks and crumbled around me.

I could do nothing but watch in awe as they tore the earth around them by the power of their strikes.

Ares had been a man before, a slight semblance of a god. But here in this moment he was a true god. He was terror, he was power, he was perfection. They were both perfection. I felt the shudder of the earth, heard the howling wind, and felt the power of the lightning even as far away as I was. These were gods. They were to be feared. Ares' eyes were alight with the thrill of battle, his smirk almost a grin as he relished in the intensity of the battle. This was the true Ares. This was the true side of the god I'd come to know. He was intense, he was alive, he was enjoying every second of the fight. He had no care for the blood on him, no care that he could be hurt, only caring of the thrill as his sword clashed with Mjölnir.

They came together in a ferocious blow, lightning striking the ground and sparking around Ares. Ares' blood red haze was now fully enveloping even his weapon and the air burst as he slammed his sword against Mjölnir was brutal. For the split second they came together, I saw Ares' eyes. His eyes were dark, intense, but so goddamn alive. I never had seen him like this.

In this moment of the clash of brutal power, I wanted Ares. Those eyes drew me, the wild, triumphant grin melted me, and his power intoxicated me. I wanted him as he was in this exact moment with a ferocity I'd never felt before.

And when they drew apart to fight once more, the world began to blur around me. I was being pulled out of the memory, but I wanted to stay. I wanted this Ares. I wanted to see him in battle. I craved Battle Ares like no other and I was afraid I would never see him again. When everything righted, I was back in the circle of Ares' arms.

"Do you see?" he asked. I couldn't answer. The memory of Battle Ares was imprinted and replaying in my mind. That split second I couldn't seem to shake. "Eveleen?" I tried to shake the memory of the battle and focus on the Ares leaning over me, but they seemed to meld. I could see how his eyes would be alive, even if they weren't at the moment. I felt the muscles encircling me and knew their strength. I could see that wild grin.

"Yes." I breathed the word out, forcing my gaze to fall to his chest.

"What did you see?" he asked me, not moving me from the circle of his arms. He kept me close and trapped against him but his hold on me was gentle. I breathed out and tried to focus on leashing the sudden whip of desire.

"Death," I answered honestly.

"What did you feel?"

"Terror." I was honest because I would give Ares nothing less. "Then I saw Achilles and Ajax. They were beautiful together. After that, I felt that battle was more than fear. It was about honor and pride." I couldn't exactly explain the moment it had all changed and perhaps I didn't want to. That may have been Ares' memory, but the moment of Achilles' loud cry would be etched in my mind forever.

"If you did not feel terror you did not understand the true extent of war. War is about overcoming weakness and showing strength. It is overcoming your fear. Rising to the challenge. Only the best can shed their mortality to fight and that is why I only take the best."

I let myself fall silent as I digested what I had seen and experienced in Ares' memories. It was a lot to sort out and go through and I wasn't sure if I could rise to the challenge of something like this. I looked out to the army below us.

"Maybe I'm not cut out for a war like that. I think I might die."

"The warriors in this battle do not die." I turned back to Ares, a confused expression on my face. "When we fight against another Pantheon, our warriors do indeed die, but their bodies are flashed away and regenerated elsewhere. They do not return to battle. This way we keep our attendants and still have our own fun." I shook my head at the smirk on his face and turned back once again to the army below us. I heard the cry of the blackbirds and saw them circling over the armies. Watching them I was reminded of the death, blood, and carnage of battle, but it did not terrify me as much as it had earlier.

"Odin comes. Now we fight again." I turned back to Ares just as his my world shimmered and for a moment, I thought he had severed our connection. But it only rippled and shimmered before righting itself back in the dream. He must have gotten truly distracted to let our connection almost break.

"Ares?" I asked, unsure of exactly what was going on.

He turned back to me and this time, it wasn't Impassive Ares, or Amused Ares. It was the Ares I had just recently seen: Battle Ares. His eyes were swirling and molten, drawing me in as I felt his anticipation. His smirk was a half feral grin and wolfish smirk but it was the way he was turning them straight at me that was my undoing. Nothing had speared me so deeply, aroused me so quickly, as Ares looking at me with those eyes and that smile. I couldn't tear my gaze away. I couldn't hide the desire in my eyes. I couldn't stop my mouth from opening or my tongue moistening my lips.

Let him know I wanted him. I didn't care. His eyes widened in surprise, probably seeing the desire. Instead of waiting for him, it was my turn now.

I pulled on his vest and yanked his lips down to mine, immediately putting my hands in his hair to anchor him down to me. I kissed him with the passion I had felt from watching Battle Ares, giving him everything I had felt. I watched his eyes and they were surprised; I had caught the great Ares off guard. But I sure as hell wasn't going to stop until I was ready.

I felt when he finally relaxed into the kiss, but it wasn't in Ares' nature to let someone else have control. He also wasn't one to be passive. One hand snaked around my waist and slammed me against his hard body while the other held my head as I held his own.

"This is how you fucking do it," he growled at me as he pulled away for a single second. Then he kissed me again, this time opening his mouth to bite at my lower lip. When I gasped at the sensation he swept inside and truly kissed me with such passion my knees gave out. Again and again he slanted his mouth over mine and again and again I kissed him back. Those molten eyes were haunting me and I was drowning in the memory.

He picked me up suddenly and all but threw me down. I braced for the impact of the snowy ground but instead I landed on something soft and silky. I broke away to look but even then, Ares didn't stop. He kissed my neck, my jaw, lavishing attention to my shoulders. Though distracted I realized I was in a bed. A lavish bed of blood red. But with Ares showering attention to every sensitive spot I possessed on my neck, my attention turned back to the sinful pleasure of his lips on my bare skin.

The only thing I knew is that I wanted Ares to kiss me again.

Using the hold on his hair I pulled him back up to my mouth and moaned when he kissed me again, his tongue easily sweeping inside. He shifted me until my legs were on either side of his hips and he rolled against me once. My entire body shuddered and his husky laugh was enough to have me whimper again. I felt his desire against the inside of my thigh, brushing against my most sensitive part, and knew I wasn't the only one affected. I brought the great Ares enough pleasure for him to even be aroused.

I opened my eyes again and when I met them, I saw the same eyes as I had in the battlefield. They were alive, sparking and intense, and beautifully dark. All for me. Everything for a mere mortal. If I wasn't drunk on pleasure before, knowing he wanted me brought me to the point of no return.

My hands moved before I could even finish the thought and they yanked his vest down over his shoulders, moving quickly to feel the warm skin and rippling muscles of his shoulders. To my surprise, he lifted himself slightly and yanked the rest of the vest off himself, letting it fall to his waist before pressing his body against mine once again. I moaned in satisfaction as my hands rapidly moved against him, as if trying to memorize everything before it disappeared. My nails dug into his back when he rolled his hips again and he hissed once. Thinking I'd done something wrong I went to pull back from the kiss, but instead he yanked the shirt I'd been wearing up to reveal my bra and bare stomach.

It was going far too fast for me, but I was drowning in sensation and the rational part of my mind was silenced by the lusty female side. Even when he took one hand and yanked my bra down, baring everything to his gaze, I could do nothing but let him continue.

"Eveleen," he growled out as he looked at me. Quickly he leaned down and took a breast into his mouth and I nearly came off the bed with a loud cry.

"Ares!"

"This is what a god can do, Eveleen. I will ruin you for mortal men."

His eyes were dark as they watched me, his lips caressing my sensitive nipple, and too late I felt his hand slip down into my pants. Perhaps if I'd known what he was going to do I might have stopped him. But when he easily slid a finger inside, I was lost again. Suddenly, I felt magic arcing from him and when I lifted my head to see what he was doing, a jolt of fierce pleasure coursed through my body. It was pure sensation and every inch of my body felt the jolt. Only a second later I felt the familiar heat spiral and my body clamping down over the finger inside me.

"Look at me," he commanded. I could do nothing but obey that velvet, purring voice. My eyes went to his, those swirling, intense eyes of Battle Ares as I went over the edge. My body fractured and I cried out in wordless surrender, my vision blurring even as I looked into the eyes of the god of war. I didn't know how long the waves cascaded over me but once I came back to myself, I saw Ares. He still watched me with those dark yet alive eyes and my body shuddered once in memory.

"W…what?" I managed to ask. I felt his finger leave me but when he brought it to his lips, I blushed ferociously. Never mind that I was half naked and had literally just had the orgasm of my life, he was about to, oh god, _he_ _was doing it!_

"Now, Eveleen." Oh the way my name rolled off his lips. "What was that about?" I opened my mouth to answer but nothing emerged. He chuckled at the way I floundered for words and leaned down to kiss me once again. It was chaste but still carried an impact. "Tell me."

"Your eyes," I murmured.

_Eloquence, thy name is Eveleen._

"My eyes?"

"Yes." I refused to say anything more on the subject and looked away from him, much to his amusement.

"Something in my memories caused you to act like this?" he asked, already knowing the answer. "Interesting." He was silent a moment, then surprised me yet again by moving my bra to cover my exposed chest. He trailed a single finger between my breasts and up to the shirt bundled around my neck, which he pulled down next. I turned back to him, unable to ask him why, but when he met my eyes he saw the question anyway. "Now is not the time. When I take you, you will not feel regret afterwards. You will want me again and there will be no shame from you."

"You know me too well," I finally managed to tease at him.

"A true reward is worth the challenge," he said simply before rolling to the side. I all but goggled at him and he smirked at me incredulous expression.

"You are so full of it. The reward isn't worth the effort, now it's worth the challenge. You make no sense!" He chuckled at me and I glared. He could actually not find me amusing for once and try actually having a conversation. Seriously.

"I have made a vow that I will have you one day, Eveleen. I will have you as I want you, not before."

"You arrogant little shit!" I swore as I came off the bed, my fist already swinging at him. Like always, he caught it easily but rolled away once, causing me to tumble after him until I eventually landed on top of him, straddling his bare stomach. "I can't believe I let myself even think of doing _anything_ with you!" I was too angry to really notice the muscles beneath me or the fact he was still shirtless, so the redness on my face was purely from the force of my temper.

"Temper becomes you, mortal." I growled and tried to yank my hand away so I could punch him again and he smirked but easily held me still.

"Be damned, Ares!" Instead of instigating me or even harassing me to see more of my temper, Ares did something unexpected yet again. He smiled. The sight was so rare I immediately stopped trying to wrestle my hands away from his and just gawked at him.

"You are amusing, mortal. Different than the others, but amusing." The smile gentled his face and he looked human again. He was still blindingly beautiful, but he seemed more approachable, more familiar to me than the god Ares. Here was my Dream Ares.

"Whatever," I huffed as my anger drained from me. He let my hands go and I crossed my arms over my chest and looked away.

"Unfortunately, mortal, I need to get back to my army. It seems the Norse are moving as we speak." I quickly got off of him and scrambled off the bed, trying hard not to look at his bare chest as he stood.

Needless to say, I failed.

He knew I was watching him but he said nothing nor did he try to cover himself. Instead he waved his hand and his belt and sword appeared around his waist. Then he looked to me with a smirk. It wasn't a condescending usual Ares smirk. It was a sort of softer one, a possessive one. A happy smirk. It made no sense, but that's what it was.

"Ares," I murmured seriously. He quirked an eyebrow at me, which was Ares speak to continue. "No matter how angry I make you or you make me, promise me that we won't use what happened here as a weapon. If you do, we're done. I mean it." The force of my words must have gotten through to him because the smirk fell and he walked over to me, grabbing my chin and yanking it up to his level.

"Do you think so little of me?" he asked, no emotion in his tone.

"It's not that I don't think little of you. I just don't know you." At my honest admission he was silent. "I heard that mortals are amusement for the gods. Maybe you'll tell someone what happened. Maybe you'll brag about it. I don't know. I barely know you. For anything to even start with us, I have to know you."

"I thought you had forsaken me because I fucked Aphrodite." Those words were like a bucket of cold water and I yanked myself away from him. I felt a horrible pain in my chest as my body chilled.

Shit.

I had completely forgotten that little tidbit of information and it tore through me with a new vengeance. I raked a hand through my hair in agitation as my rational mind screamed at me, telling me how stupid I had just been in allowing this to happen. He was fucking someone's wife! Even Morpheus had warned me about getting it on with Ares, and what had I done? Fallen into bed with him – literally – without caring of the consequences. I felt tears begin to build behind my eyes and I blinked furiously.

_Shit. Shit. Shit._

"Eveleen." The tone was full of power and command but I didn't turn around.

"You're right. I shouldn't have done what I did." Gods I was just a fool. A hypocrite. I had thought I would be able to say no when the time came, but here I was after the best goddamn orgasm of my life. I was with the man who I'd sworn I would never be with.

"Cease this." I bit down on the knuckles of my right hand to try to distract myself from the moisture that kept building. Hands landed on my arms and whirled me around to face Ares. I immediately looked away and tried to turn from him, but the red haze flared and I was forced against the wall. He held me easily and I let him, knowing there was no way I could fight him or get him off of me until he was ready to leave.

"Let me go."

"No." He forced me to look at him and drew back slightly when he saw tears streaming down my cheeks. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm so goddamned weak, that's why."

"If you were that weak, mortal, I would want nothing to do with you. Every single mortal has moments of weakness, but even then that does not make them weak. Cease this."

"I'm a hypocrite." He growled in frustration as the tears fell even harder.

"Eveleen." He shook me once. "You stupid mortal. I swear that when I am with you, it will only be with you. That was your rule, yes?" He shook me again. "Train so that you will be worthy enough to be with me." My surprise turned immediately into anger.

"I'll train because I want to be strong, not so that I can be worthy of you!"

"Good." Belatedly I realized I was no longer crying. Clever god. "Train well, Eveleen. I will look forward to your progress when I return."

"I will," I murmured. He swooped down for one more kiss, lingering for a few moments before pulling away. With that, the world shimmered once again and turned to blackness. He was gone.

But even in the darkness, I did not wake. Strange. Normally I'd wake up or go drift back to my normal dreams by this point.

"_Moooortal,"_ a voice called out, echoing around me. The darkness swirled back from my eyes and I flinched as I saw familiar dark eyes looking back at me.

Oh. That's why.

"Morpheus," I murmured. I felt a fission of nervousness, but I still instinctively trusted Morpheus not to do anything. I just didn't know him well enough for there to truly be no nerves. Plus, he always had to use the dark. Why couldn't he appear in a girl's dreams normally? "Because mortal, that would be no fun. And poor Morpheus only gets to visit someone in their tiny dreams. Do you begrudge me for wanting a bit of play time?"

"I hate how you guys can read minds." His laugh was more like a low purr, but unlike Ares, I didn't find it sensual in the least.

"Perhaps, mortal, but I was not the one having those dreams about Ares."

I blushed at the mention of what just happened. "Ares was there," I muttered. "Blame him." Now the purr became a full laugh.

"_Oh,_ _mortal!_ So unbelieving of Ares coming to dreamwalk, but now you don't believe Ares isn't dreamwalking with you?"

"What?" I asked, disconcerted. He wasn't alluding to what I thought he was…was he? "But…"

"Silly little girl. Ares was only with you for half of that dream. He broke it off when Odin moved in on his position. Your mind filled in the rest."

"No." My mind filled with dread.

"Oh yes." My heart dropped to my stomach.

"No, no no." My face lost its color.

"I told you I looked forward to these dreams, did I not? You do indeed have a very interesting subconscious." He stroked from my ear to my chin and I shivered with nerves. "Even so, you tried to convince yourself not to be with him because of Aphrodite. Interesting, mortal. You lose everything with him but not your voice of reason."

"I shouldn't be with him. It will put me in danger."

"Oh yes, mortal. Plenty of danger." I felt him playing with a strand of my hair but the eyes kept impassive. There was no desire in them, only a sense of amusement. He was having fun, but he was here warning me. Something about Morpheus this time made me think of my friend Puck. With that thought, the nerves disappeared as if they'd never been.

"It's harder than I thought," I admitted.

"Honesty. It's refreshing mortal." I felt him grasp more hair of mine and string his fingers through it. "Some mortals try to lie. It's useless. I know your dreams. I am Oneiroi."

"What exactly is an Oneiroi?" I asked cautiously.

"I am the god of dreams as you well know. I am Morpheus. I know every mortal's dreams and can dreamwalk in them as I will. I bring messages from the gods when they wish me to."

"Are you here bringing me a message from a god?" He purred again, his version of laughter.

"No, mortal. I am here because I am a son of Gaia. She favors you, mortal, and you have given her everything in your training. I see that you care for my mother as well."

"Is that why you're helping me?"

"Is it not enough?" he countered, the eyes crinkling in amusement.

"I suppose it is."

"You know attraction to the great god of war is not something you should have, silly mortal."

"I know," I murmured, looking away from his eyes. I felt my hair drop back to my shoulder and cold fingers pull up my chin to meet his eyes once again.

"You are mortal, he is a god. None have withstood against Ares when he has wanted them, and none for this long." One finger stroked my chin. "Something draws you to him."

I was quiet for a moment and watched the black eyes across from me. Morpheus didn't have to help me but here he was, dreamwalking to bring me yet another warning. I felt that I could trust him with my secrets. "Everything draws me to him."

"Ah, more honesty! Delightful, mortal. It is true. I felt this pull between you even in your dreams. For him to dreamwalk with you so early was surprising. I felt that I needed to warn the proud attendant of my mother's. Aphrodite will not be pleased to see Ares' attention stray. You think Camilla was angry? You have not seen an angry goddess."

"I plan not to," I replied dryly.

"But what he plan is seldom what we experience." The fingers squeezed my chin before dropping back to play my hair. Did this man have a hair fascination or something? "Aphrodite will not be pleased. She will attempt to make your life miserable. It is inevitable by this point. Even a god cannot hold out against Ares' forever and you are only mortal." I felt him swirling my hair around his fingers again, but the action was almost subconscious on his part. It didn't bother me; Puck liked to do some of the same things.

"I know now. I don't want to be with Ares if he's with Aphrodite, but I won't be able to hold out for much longer. I don't want to feel shame or regret, but I will want him regardless. I might grow to hate myself and I'd still want him." I sighed. "He was gone for seven days and I missed him. How attached am I?"

"Not as much as he'd like," Morpheus purred.

"Seriously, what is it with Olympus men and sex?" I heard him chuckle and he shook his head at me.

"It is not Olympian, it is all men. Other men do not have the fortitude to be as open about it." He tweaked my nose and I glared at him. "Do not worry about your attraction to Ares, mortal. You want him. Do not fight that; it will only hurt you more in the end. Instead, worry about Aphrodite. She will know eventually. Perhaps not soon, but she will know."

"What do I do?" I asked him, this time reaching out to him. I was surprised to feel a human chest underneath my palm. I didn't know what I expected, really, but his chest was just as cold as the fingers that had been on my chin. It was strange.

"Become strong," he said simply, and I felt him shrug. "Strong enough so that you can withstand what she throws at you. She cannot harm you herself, because Gaia would retaliate. Her attendants cannot openly harm you because not only would Gaia's attendants retaliate, but I'm sure your warrior friends would not back down from a challenge to one of their own. She will strike at you in the dark, when you least expect it. Become strong so that you can protect yourself when no one else is around."

"Is it wrong that I want him?" I asked, my voice serious as I asked the question that had been plaguing me for some time.

"No. It is not wrong. Your desires are not one-sided, mortal. A god such as Ares has his mortal females, but only few have ever caught as much attention from him as you. You do not think it, but you are special. You have an air of destiny about you, mortal. You are meant for things, though only the fates know what that truly is. But even a god of dreams knows destiny when he sees it."

"I suppose so." He was silent, merely watching me. "You're right, Morpheus. I want Ares." Even saying it was hard, but also somewhat liberating. "If it's true he broke off that dream and it was me who finished it, I'm farther gone than I thought. You won't tell him?" I asked.

"Oh no, mortal. That dream is for me and you alone." My cheeks colored. "I promise keep these types of dreams secret, silly mortal. You are delightfully innocent and amusing." At my glare, he laughed softly. "If you have need of an Oneiroi, call for me. I will hear you."

"Thank you, Morpheus."

"For a mortal who allows me to play with her hair without complaints and one who has very interesting dreams at night? It is a small allowance on my part."

"_Oh shut up!"_ I growled at him, my cheeks flaming in embarrassment. "Men!"

"You mean gods, Eveleen," he purred as he leaned forward. I saw the hint of his face before he kissed my cheek and drew back to let the darkness shroud him again. "Keep making my mother happy. That is all I require in return." The tone was light but serious and I nodded.

"Of course I will."

"Until next time, mortal." I felt him leave me and slowly opened my eyes, only to find my vision blurred and my body exhausted. I groaned but knew immediately I wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep after this night.

Instead I stumbled out to the gardens and knelt by the small pool in the antechamber, looking down at my reflection. I had learned more than I cared to tonight, but Morpheus was right. I needed to become stronger. I had to become stronger to protect myself, to be able to become a true warrior, and to serve Gaia. Everyone needed strength from me, but right now my body ached and my mind was simply exhausted. I wasn't sure what 'air of destiny' I had around me but for now, all I could do was throw myself back into my training.

I had to become strong.

I had to.


End file.
